TWs: Some self-deprecation and quick references to past emotional abuses.
"Well… heck," Ted said gently. Nervously. "See… I was kinda hopin' you did mean it?" He scratched at one of his eyebrows. "But it looks like you're wishin' you could hit rewind on that, so if you do want to take it back, I won't hold it against ya."
"What?" Trent asked, confused. "Wait—you want to go on a date?"
"Kinda?" Ted said. "I mean, I had been wonderin' how to ask you on a date without just blurtin' it out. But it sounds like maybe that woulda worked? Then again, you don't look too happy about sorta askin' me, so we can just pretend it didn't happen if you want."
"But… you were married to a woman," Trent said.
"Yes, I am aware of that, but thank you for the confirmation," Ted said with a nervous chuckle. "Look, I only recently-ish realized I'm probably bi. And I understand if you have a problem potentially goin' on a date with someone who's still figurin' things out. But we can just shake hands and leave here as friends. It's okay."
"What? No. I've dated bi men before. I just didn't know you… were," Trent said.
"I mean… I never dated a fella before." Ted shrugged. "But I like you, Trent. I have for a while now, if I'm bein' honest."
"You never said anything," Trent said, not at all unkindly.
"How could I? I was sure what I was feelin' was one-sided," Ted said. "Plus, you were barely talkin' to me this season as it was. I didn't want to push you away even more."
"It's not one-sided," Trent said softly. "I know I'm the one who asked about the date. And I don't want to take it back… but may I please think on it for a bit?"
"Of course," Ted said. His phone chirped again, but he didn't look at it. "Would you like me to walk you to your car?"
"No, I can manage, thank you. And I've got this," Trent said as he nodded toward their mess on the table. "Have a good chat with your son, Ted."
I will, thanks," Ted said as he got up and shouldered his backpack and held onto both straps. "You know… it's been a weird few days. Today ended up pretty good, though," he said with a sheepish half-smile. "Call me, okay? Whenever you're ready to talk. I'm not gonna pester you."
Trent nodded.
Ted's phone chirped a third time and he chuckled. "Well, I'm gonna…" He gestured toward the door. "Lookin' forward to hearin' from you, sir."
Trent nodded again, afraid he'd say something else he probably shouldn't. It was only when Ted was completely out the door did Trent get up and finish putting all of their trash on the tray to bring up to the rubbish bin.
While Trent was carefully placing their dirty mugs where they were supposed to be returned, the woman who had served them started to sweep the floor.
"May I ask you something?" The question was out of Trent's mouth before he really thought it through. A recurring trend, it seemed.
"You may," the woman replied with a teasing smile.
"The foam art… do you do that for everyone who orders a latte?" Trent asked. "The heart, I mean. Everyone gets one, right?"
She laughed and shook her head. "Your friend asked if I could put a heart on yours. That was my first ever attempt."
"Oh," Trent said, taken aback a bit. "It was very good."
"Thank you," she said.
"And the foam hearts you did when I ordered?" Trent asked.
She winced. "Should I not have done that?"
"No, it's all right," Trent said quickly. "More than all right, actually. Thank you." He smiled and gave her a small nod. "Enjoy your evening."
"You too," she replied.
Trent stepped out of the shop and looked up the number for a locksmith. He was grateful to get ahold of someone—even more so when they said someone could be with him within 30 minutes. He thanked them and started walking back toward Nelson Road. On the way, he called his sister. She picked up after two rings.
"You were taking too long, so I started without you," Allie said. Her words came easily and with a hint of a chuckle. She was already on the other side of tipsy, from the sound of it.
"My sincerest apologies," Trent replied. "You'll be pleased to know that I locked myself out of my car."
"And that takes well over an hour to fix?"
"Well, I only just called them, you see… someone will be here in 30 to help me out," Trent said.
"What the hell have you been doing this whole time?" Allie asked.
"I had coffee with Ted," Trent said softly.
"WAY TO BURY THE LEDE, YOU ARSEHOLE," Allie shrieked into his ear. "Did you apologize? Does he forgive you? Inquiring minds need to know."
Trent chuckled. "Yes, I apologized. Yes, he forgave me."
"And?" Allie asked.
"And, what?" Trent said.
"More had to happen in the last couple hours than that. Apologies take literally two seconds. Although you're rather long-winded, so maybe it took five."
"We… talked," Trent said. "Conversed." Trent adjusted his glasses as he walked. "He shared some really private stuff, actually. So did I."
"So are you two proper friends now? Telling each other your dirty secrets now that you're not a reporter," Allie said.
"Kind of?" Trent said. "I mean, he just kept talking, Al. It was marvelous."
"And you still fancy him?"
"Very much," Trent said earnestly. "I also sort of accidentally asked him on a date."
"You what?" Allie said through a mouthful of something. Trent was glad she remembered to eat while she was drinking. She always woke up with a worse hangover when she forgot to put food in her system alongside the alcohol.
"It just slipped out," Trent said. "As he was leaving, he said 'This was fun. We should do this again sometime.' And I said, 'What, like a date?' And then it was like time fucking stopped. I wanted to take it back so badly."
"So what did he do? He was probably all polite about it, wasn't he?"
"He was," Trent said. "He also said yes, though."
"WHAT?" Allie screamed loud enough for Trent to wince and pull the phone away from his ear a bit.
"Don't get too excited," Trent said. "I told him I needed to think about it."
"You can't just ask someone about going on a date and then when they say yes, you say you need to think about it," Allie said. "Plus, what's there to think about?! You fancy him. He apparently fancies you. I really don't see why you're getting in your own way over this."
"What if I screw things up?" Trent asked.
"What if he screws things up?" Allie countered. "What if it turns out you can't stand each other? What if you're soulmates? What if the climate crisis ends everything tomorrow? Trent, I say this with all the love in my heart, but for fuck's sake, give yourself a chance to be happy."
Trent sighed. On some level, he knew she was right. It didn't make him any less terrified of the situation, though. Part of the masochistic comfort of liking Ted was knowing nothing could come of these unrequited feelings. An actual date with a person he had actual feelings for just seemed daunting at this point, especially with their short, but conflicting, professional history.
On the other hand, Trent missed being intimate with someone in every sense of the word. Having someone to talk to about anything and everything. Having someone next to him in bed. Having someone to hold him and someone to hold.
He wanted the courage to speak up for himself more. He wanted a partner.
He wanted Ted.
What was there to lose?
(Besides everything, obviously…)
"I'll make plans with him, I promise," Trent said softly.
"Good," Allie said. "It's one date, little brother. It could lead to more. Or maybe that's it. But you have to start somewhere."
"I know," Trent replied as he walked back through the gate at Nelson Road. "I'm at my car. The locksmith should be here in a bit. Do you still want me to come over?"
"Do you want to?" Allie asked.
"I think I might head home, if it's all right with you," Trent said. "Today was a lot. Alice is with Mum and Dad. I should try and clear my head a bit."
"Are you going to be okay?"
"Eventually," Trent said with a chuckle. "Look… Ted asked me to call him when I was ready to talk. Do you think I should wait a day? I don't know how this works, Al."
"I can't tell you when you're ready," Allie replied. "But I think you know that you already are. Don't fuck this up."
"Yep," Trent said. "Love you too."
Trent leaned on the bonnet of his car while he waited for the locksmith, thinking about the roller coaster of a week he had. It was all a bit overwhelming with everything at work and then that morning with his dad. Spending time with Ted that afternoon filled him both with a nervous energy and a sense of calm. There was something to be said about being scared, excited, and content all at once—like it was okay to take a chance because you were in a safe environment to do so. Ted was potentially both a risk and a reward.
The ridiculous cost of getting his car unlocked was worth it, Trent told himself as he drove the short distance back to his building's parking area. If he hadn't done that, he wouldn't have had the afternoon with Ted. At least that's what he was going to remind himself when he got his credit card bill at the end of the month.
It was odd being home alone, even though that was always the plan that night. Trent turned on the radio as soon as he got inside his flat, ditched his jacket, and changed into track pants. He grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge to drink and allowed his feet to shuffle along to the music while he made himself some sort of pasta, cubed chicken, and vegetable concoction with leftovers.
Trent was halfway through his meal when he realized he had turned on Peppa Pig instead of the news. He left it on, as it was less stressful than what was going on in the world, and it reminded him of Alice. He missed her when she spent the night with family, but was grateful all the same that she felt comfortable enough to be on her own with them without him.
After washing the dishes, Trent called his mother to check in on Alice. He didn't bring up the interaction with his dad when he dropped Alice off and his mother didn't either. He wondered if she knew what her husband had said to him. Likely not. She did probably know he got fired, as that would be something his dad would tell her. But not the personal attacks.
Tense from the morning and too nervous to talk to Ted just yet, Trent drew himself a bubble bath. It was a luxury he rarely indulged in, but something from his time with Thomas that he would allow himself when he most needed to calm down. The spearmint scented foam helped clear his mind while the almost icy bubbles kissed nearly every inch of him as he lounged in the hot bath and tried to lose himself in the novel he had started the other night. It was difficult to fully concentrate on the plot because he kept thinking about Ted, but he reread paragraphs as necessary and told himself to enjoy the quiet.
Trent studied himself in the mirror as he applied lotion to his face post-bath. Unkind words were the easiest to latch onto and he hated how aware of that he was. He tried to swap in some positive ones instead. His hair still looked nice—he could admit that. It was starting to frizz a bit from the moisture in the bathroom, but it still looked mostly soft and shiny. He wondered if he'd be able to replicate what Jes did to make it that way again.
Clad in plaid pajama pants and a threadbare t-shirt, Trent grabbed his phone and curled up in the corner of his couch. He didn't really know what he was going to say to Ted, but he also didn't want to put off talking to him.
Are you free to talk now?
When the read receipt showed the text was read immediately, a wave of panic crashed against Trent's ribcage.
Yes sir
Trent went to his contacts and clicked on Ted's name. He closed his eyes and shook his head to himself as the phone dialed.
"Good evenin', Trent," Ted said softly into Trent's ear.
Ted's voice was like a switch and as soon as Trent heard it, the wave of panic ebbed and he felt like he could breathe again. The nerves were still there, humming throughout Trent's body, but they weren't overwhelming him.
"Good evening, Ted," Trent replied evenly as he opened his eyes. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."
"There's nothin' to interrupt," Ted assured him. "Pretty sure I just read the same paragraph three times in a row, so you're actually doin' me a favor." Trent could hear a smile in Ted's voice. He wasn't used to being the cause of anyone's joy most days except for his daughter. "I'm glad you called."
"I'm sorry about earlier," Trent said. "When I told you I needed time to think."
"Don't be," Ted said with a chuckle. "I've never seen you so shocked after askin' a question. You had every right to want to mull that over."
"It's true that I didn't mean to ask what I did," Trent said. "Or, rather, I meant it, but I didn't plan to ever ask it. And I certainly didn't expect you would say yes."
"But you musta been thinkin' about it, if that question was just waitin' there, at the ready?" Ted asked.
"Of course I thought about it," Trent said. "Far more often than I should admit. But with me covering your team for work and not knowing what I now know, it would have been unprofessional and quite rude of me to ask you on a date."
"I get that," Ted said. "Although after you got our second round of drinks, I found myself hopin' that you and I were on the same page—or at least readin' the same book—what with the hearts on the lattes, and all."
"I didn't know you had asked her to put one on my coffee, Ted," Trent said with a sigh. "I assumed it was something she did for every customer."
"You mean you didn't ask her to do that when you got us drinks?"
"No," Trent replied. "She did that on her own since you had asked her before. I might have inquired about it after you left."
"Huh," Ted said.
"I'm flattered you asked her to put a heart on my drink, Ted. I'm sorry I didn't realize it at the time."
"You keep apologizin' for things you don't have to be sorry about," Ted said. "But I'm gonna keep forgivin' ya because I think you might need to hear me say that out loud. We're okay, sir. The article. You askin' for time to think. Heck, miscommunication straight outta our own potential rom-com. That's all just life," Ted pointed out. "You didn't hurt me, Trent. Please don't hurt yourself over it."
Trent nodded even though Ted was not there to see him. It was more for himself, anyway—acknowledging what Ted was saying and telling himself to believe it.
"Thank you," Trent said quietly. "I'll try to limit my apologies in the future. Save them for when I've done something truly horrible, I guess."
Ted laughed. "As a fellow over-apologizer, I know it's much easier said than done. I just don't want you gettin' to where I was… basically apologizin' for existin', you know?" Ted cleared his throat. "So, the future, huh? That sounds promisin'?"
"Ted Lasso…" Trent started.
"Yes, Trent Crimm?"
"May we schedule a time to spend together in a non-professional capacity?"
There was several beats of silence and Trent was almost about to apologize again when Ted spoke up.
"So, you are askin' me out on a date? Sorry… I was too busy marvelin' at the way you managed to both impress and confuse the hell outta me with your wordin'. And now here I am apologizin'," Ted said with a chuckle.
"In my defense, I've never asked someone on a date in person before," Trent said, "and now I've gone and mucked that up twice today."
"If I said yes both times, though, you're still battin' a thousand," Ted said. "Because yes, please, I would very much like to schedule a… what was it? 'Time to spend together in a non-professional capacity.' Sign me up, sir."
Even though Trent knew Ted would say yes, hearing it—out loud—made his insides swirl. Mostly in a good way.
"You're already stressin' out about it, aren't ya?" Ted asked. "I can hear you thinkin' over the phone."
"I'll have you know I've found recently that I am able to be both terrified and happy about something at the same time," Trent replied.
"First-day jitters," Ted said. "Although I guess in this case it's first-date jitters, huh?"
"You say that so casually like you are completely fine about all of this," Trent said.
"Well, the way I see it… I already told you this is all new for me, so the super scary part is out of the way," Ted said. "I know you. I know I like spendin' time with you. And you already know some of my deepest, darkest secrets. If you could see me right now, I'm shruggin'. Because I am kinda fine about everything," Ted admitted. "Look… it's either gonna be a good date or it's not. The way I figure it—regardless what happens—we're at least on track to bein' friends. And that right there might be the best worst case scenario of all time."
Trent shut his eyes and shook his head. He would need to keep his sister and Ted apart for as long as humanly possible. They had already met once, yes, but if something did progress between Ted and him, he just knew Ted and Allie would immediately gang up on him if given the chance.
"I see," Trent said. "Well… what does your schedule look like next week?"
"Let me check," Ted said. "Uh… huh. Yikes. I seem to have a bunch of meetings and some appointments I musta told people I could get to after the season was over. You wanna aim for sometime next weekend?"
"Sure," Trent said. "Either day is fine. I just need to get someone to watch Al."
"Sounds good," Ted said. "May I, uh… plan the date?" The way his voice rose up at the end made it sound like he was asking two questions.
"Pardon?" Trent asked, his mind already racing to all the dates Thomas planned for them over the years and how he couldn't let that be his life all over again.
"Yeah, I had an idea, if you're okay with me settin' this one up. We're probably gonna need a few hours and I'll need to know your second favorite dessert."
"My second favorite dessert?" Trent repeated.
"Yeah, that way if the date turns out less than stellar, we wouldn't have ruined your first favorite dessert," Ted said, as if it was the most obvious explanation in the world. "I'm aimin' for you to make a nice new memory, not accidentally make you hate somethin' you love."
Oh, Trent thought, he's not making plans that I'm meant to blindly tag along to. He's planning something for me.
(Starting over starts now.)
"Apple pie," Trent said. "My second favorite dessert is apple pie."
That wasn't entirely true. Apple pie had been Trent's all-time favorite dessert for decades. It was only when he had Ted's shortbread biscuits the previous year that the pie dropped a spot on Trent's list.
"Apple pie," Ted said sweetly in Trent's ear. "I bet you're waiting for me to say somethin' about how that's an American dessert, but I know it has its roots right here in England. Apple pie. Okay. How does next Saturday work for you? Say, one o'clock? I'll text you the address that mornin'?"
"That should be fine," Trent said, reminding himself to stop comparing what Ted was doing to what Thomas had done. "I'll let you know this week if something comes up."
"All righty," Ted said. "You can text or call even if something doesn't come up, you know. If you want."
"Good night, Ted," Trent said softly.
"See you soon," Ted replied.