After several rounds of bingo, some spiked coffee, and goodbye hugs, Trent and Ted left the assisted living facility knowing that James Crimm had a fun afternoon with his only grandson and the coach of the Richmond football team.

"Thanks again for letting me tag along," Ted said as they walked back toward Nelson Road. "I haven't had a hug from a grandparent in over a decade, so that was a real treat for me. Granddad Crimm seems like a really special guy."

"He liked you," Trent said with a chuckle. "Got a real laugh from the flak you were taking from the other residents. How does it not bother you when people take the piss like that?"

Ted shrugged, "Sticks and stones, Trent. Someone calling me a wanker doesn't bother me because it's just a word. That person doesn't know the real me. So if it makes them feel better to poke fun at the American, well then they can, as that faux-French candlestick fella sang so sweetly in Beauty and the Beast, be my guest."

"You are something else, Ted Lasso," Trent said. "Let me apologize, though, for Granddad assuming you and I are, well…" He knew he needed to finish that sentence. "The only person besides Maddy who would come visit him with me was Isaiah. Who is, as you may have gathered from context clues, my ex-husband. We're still on speaking terms and everything, so you won't hear me say anything bad about him. But I think Granddad thought you and I were together because Isaiah knew him and why would I bring some stranger to meet my grandparent on Christmas if that stranger wasn't someone… special."

Ted could have stopped Trent at any time. It was an accident on Trent's granddad's part, and an understandable one at that. But it was fun watching Trent ramble because he usually was more careful with what he said. Trent had an economical approach to using words, whether out loud or on paper, as if he knew the cost of them. But right then he was spending far more than he budgeted for and it tickled Ted to his core.

Especially because it hadn't bothered him one bit.

Ted liked Trent the way he liked Michelle when they first met. He knew Michelle was someone special, but it hadn't been obvious to him right away. The first thing Ted said to Trent at that very first press conference was that he liked his glasses. But Ted was still married then and he wasn't thinking anything more than how that striking fella at the press conference with the nice hair and neat glasses asked if he was a joke. That stung. That stung more than something like that should have stung. Because that man didn't know Ted. Like, really know the real him. But it was all part of the job.

Now, though, Ted was divorced. He was single and ready to mingle. Well, maybe not ready, per se, but he knew eventually he would need to find someone else to share his life with because that's what his heart was for. He had an overabundance of love to give and, dang it, he was going to give it to someone. And hopefully someone was going to give him some of theirs. Ted loved being loved, and he was open to be loved by whomever.

Ted had had that one-night-stand with Sassy a while back. It was fun and she was nice (and she gave as much as she got, boy howdy), but it was a surface encounter during a very weird time in Ted's life. Now that he had a few months of being divorced under his belt, and at the encouragement of his friends, he knew he should start wading back into the dating waters. And maybe being misinterpreted as to being Trent's beau was a step in the right direction.

It certainly wasn't an insult.

"No need to apologize, Trent. It was fun being mistaken for someone's someone. I miss that," Ted admitted. Because that was the truth—he enjoyed being a plus-one. Platonic or not. And this was platonic situation, but it very easily could have been an or not one, if he was being honest with himself. Because he had wondered about Trent ever since their day together for the exposé, but it was not Ted's business to ask Trent about his personal life before because that seemed to be off-limits, professionally. He did know Trent had a kid (who didn't look a dang thing like him) and Ted had interacted with her on several occasions at events put on by the club. But now that personal things were kinda out in the open since this wasn't a business hang… perhaps shooting one's shot, as the youths put it, was on the table.

"It's just that some men might take offense to being mistaken as gay," Trent said softly. "You seem to be comfortable in your own skin, which is admirable."

Ted chuckled, realizing there was no shot to shoot if Trent wasn't aware of a key piece of the Ted Lasso puzzle. "Are you familiar with the song stylings of Lil Nas X?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"I didn't think so, but I thought I would ask anyway," Ted said as he pulled out his phone and scrolled through his iTunes. "I'm going to put this on low because he's got some swears in his music, but I want you to take a listen to the beginning of this song."

Ted pressed play on "That's What I Want" and handed the phone to Trent, miming for the other man to hold it closer to his ear.

Trent's eyebrows slid up pretty much right away at the lyrics he was listening to—young Black men weren't singing about sleeping with other men when he was figuring out his own sexuality—but his face softened when it got to the lyric "I wonder if he got the G or the B" and something clicked.

Song still playing, Trent smiled bashfully and handed Ted's phone back to him. "I think I owe you another apology. Although I was still right—you do seem to be comfortable in your own skin, Ted. But, yes, I assumed you were straight."

"Just about as straight as this path, I'd wager," Ted said as Trent looked up to see they were on one of the ridiculous winding walkways between storefronts near Nelson Road. He also saw Rebecca Welton walking toward them with a giant sack of toys on her back. She was wearing jeans and flat shoes and was wearing a silly hat with elf ears on it.

"Boss! I didn't know you had a side hustle going on, working for Santa!"

Rebecca slowed down, a confused look washing over her face as she looked between Ted and Trent several times. "Trent Crimm, The Independent. And Ted. Ted! I was 'round your place earlier to check in on you, but you weren't home. I guess I solved that mystery, haven't I?" She laughed a bit awkwardly as Ted laughed and shrugged while Trent stood there not knowing what to say.

He did great her, as that was the polite thing to do. "Ms. Welton," he said with a respectful nod of his head. Trent knew she wasn't a fan of his and she was likely surprised to see her coach and the sports journalist who covered her team out and about under any sort of unofficial capacity.

"What can I do ya for, Rebecca?" Ted asked, not even addressing the elephant in the alleyway.

"I had thought you might want to help me bring bags of presents where they needed to get to today, but this is my last one."

Ted's eyes lit up at how thoughtful that was of his boss/friend. "Well, where's that one going?"

Rebecca nodded up ahead. "Around the corner, I think. So says the map on my phone."

Ted looked over at Trent. "You wanna help this here elf deliver her last bag of packages, Trent?"

Trent looked between Ted and Rebecca, knowing only one of the two people thought that was a good idea. "I'm afraid I'm woefully unprepared in the festive hat department." He looked at his phone, checking the time. He had nowhere to be, but figured this was probably as good of time as any to part ways with Ted. "And I should probably check in on Maddy."

Not quite ready to say goodbye to Trent, Ted came up with a plan on the spot. "Well, this was the last one, right Rebecca? And you said the drop off point is nearby? Here let me get that for you," Ted said as he held out his hand for the sack she had on her back.

"Thank you, Ted," Rebecca said as she handed over the overstuffed red bag. "And, yes, it's close."

"Okay," Ted said, nodding to himself. "Trent, how about you hang here on this here bench and call your kiddo and I'll help Boss drop off these presents so you can have some privacy. We shouldn't be too long, right?"

"Right," Rebecca said slowly as she watched Trent smile at Ted and hold up his phone in a tiny salute. "Um, nice to see you Mr. Crimm?"

"You as well, Ms. Welton."

Ted tapped Rebecca on the shoulder and the two of them set off while Trent sat on the bench Ted had suggested.

When Rebecca figured they were far enough away from Trent, she leaned over and loudly whispered, "What the bloody hell is going on?"

Ted whispered back, just as loudly, "We're delivering presents."

Rebecca swatted at Ted's arm hard with her hand. "Christ, Ted, you know what I mean. I thought you were FaceTiming with Henry today."

Ted resituated the bag on his back. "I was," he said with a small grunt. "But that lasted all of 10 minutes because I bought Henry a guilt gift and he ditched me to go play with it. So I started drinking and watching a sad movie I probably shouldn't have been watching in the first place."

With a sigh, Rebecca felt herself compelled to ask, "And now you're spending the holiday with Trent Crimm?!"

"Kind of? I mean, it didn't start out that way. I went for a walk and got lost. And he… well, I guess he found me. He seemed lost too. Maybe not physically, but definitely metaphorically. He had to spend the day without his kid too, so we just kind of walked around together and got to talking. And I met his granddad and called out numbers for some bingo games at Granddad Crimm's assisted living facility. Then just before you strolled up with your bag of goodies, I told Trent I was bi through the music of a very confident and creative music icon in the making." He took a quick peak back toward Trent on the bench. "Today has been quite a roller coaster."

"And you're… not looking to get off the ride just yet?" Rebecca asked carefully, but cringing at how badly that sounded once said out loud.

"I think I'd like to get in line for it again, maybe?" Ted shrugged. "It turned into a good day, Boss. I wasn't expecting it to, but here we are. And there he sits."

"Just be careful, Ted." Her need to shield Ted from pain was strong. Ever since his panic attack at karaoke, Rebecca felt more protective of him. It wasn't that he couldn't handle himself. It was that people didn't know how to handle all of Ted. He was the best person she knew. And Trent was… not.

"It's okay," Ted chuckled. "Everything's off the record today."