#ted lasso fluff

[axelsagewrites]

Jamie Tartt*The Bet

Pairing: Jamie x f!reader

Word count: 5794

Warnings: jamie asking the reader out as a bet, prick jamie in the beginning, mentions of sex but nothing explicit, angst, a lot of fucks but this is Ted Lasso

Materlist here

“mate do you know who I am?” Jamie said, gesturing to himself as he Issac and Collin sat in the back corner of a crowded nightclub, “I’m telling you man I could get any girl in here. Guy too if I really wanted,”

“please bruv,” Issac scoffed, rolling his eyes. They were used to Jamie being a cocky prick on the field but after a few too many beers and Issac getting rejected twice in one night he was bitter and felt the need to prove something, “all you do is get laid. You’ve not had a girlfriend in like ever,” he said making Jamie roll his eyes this time.

“at least I can get laid. Getting a girlfriends easy,” Jamie said.

“nah he’s right mate,” Collin pipped up making Jamie roll his eyes yet again, “getting laid’s the easy bit, you can’t make them stick around,”

“Keeley stuck around,” Jamie tried to argue but this time his teammates just laughed, “what?”

“all yous did was hookup it’s not like yous were proper dating,” Issac said, Collin nodding in agreement, “face it Jamie girls only talk to you for sex,”

Jamie scoffed at the pair but the more he thought about it he was wondering if they were right. Sure, he and Keeley had been together for a few months before they split but every time, they saw each other it always ended in sex. Now he was thinking about it he wasn’t sure if he had taken her on an actual date the whole time, “if I wanted to, I could have a girlfriend,”

“prove it,” Collin said making even Issac raise an eyebrow, “if you can date a girl for a month and get her to be your girlfriend by the end of it, I’ll give you my car,” Issac let out a low whistle as Jamie laughed. Was he seriously considering this? A new car did sound nice though, “but no sex,”

“what?” Jamie said, well almost shouted as he ignored the confused looks from those around, “no sex for a month?”

“what are you some kind of addict?” Issac scoffed at the man, “Collins right. One month, no sex, serious commitment. Then you get his car,”

Jamie shook his head, scoffing as he leant back in his seat. He ignored the probing and teasing of his mates as he considered it for a moment. Sure, he could buy a new car but the feeling of driving Collins car to practise would be pretty sweet, “fine you’re on,” he said suddenly making both boys head snap around.

Collin for a second looked unsure before he added his final stipulation, “but we get to pick the girl,”

Issac and Collin had insisted you don’t find a girlfriend in a club so by the end of practise tomorrow they would assign Jamie his target. When the two came up to him in the locker room after practise Jamie almost regretted the bet when he saw their grin. “we’ve found her,” Issac said.

“the perfect girl,” Collin added, “oh and I’ve decided if I win, I get your car,”

Jamie shrugged as he stood from the bench, “fine deals a deal. Who’s the girl?”

When Issac pulled out his phone for a second Jamie almost felt bad. Almost. He recognised who the insta belonged to instantly. You were Rebecca’s personal assistant, so it was not rare for Jamie to see you floating around Richmond, but he’d never seen your insta before. “no sex yeah?” He said, taking the phone from Issacs hand to look through your pics, “bummer but a deals a deal. Its gonna feel so sweet driving that Lambo,” he grinned as he tossed the phone back to Issac.

“you’ve got a week to ask her out or you instantly fail the challenge,” Issac said, “and as the one not putting his car on the line I’m the captain of this bet,” Jamie rolled his eyes as Issac proceeded to lay down the law, “and if we find out you lied about any after date activities or skipped a date with her then you lose and will owe a fine of £1000,”

Jamie scoffed, gesturing like Issac was a mad man, “whatcha gonna do? Stalk me or some shit?”

“she’s pals with Sam so he’ll tell us,” Collin said before his eyes went wide, “which reminds me no one but us three can know,” he said before glancing around the locker room, “it’s a secret,” he whispered.

Jamie rolled his eyes before pushing past them both, “whatevs boys. Don’t worry I won’t gloat too much when I win,” he grinned as he walked out the locker room leaving everyone, but Issac and Collin confused.

It was as if as soon as the bet started you had disappeared. Jamie was used to seeing you running all over the place but the one time he saw you the first three days was you driving off in your beat-up car. For a second, he thought Rebecca should be paying you better. It didn’t help that each time either of his friends saw him they reminded him the clock was ticking.

On Thursday however when Jamie saw you walk past the gym door, he quickly dropped his weights, running out the room with no thought or care for Roy shouting after him to rerack his weights. You were heading in the directions of the locker room and Jamie saw this as the perfect excuse as he jogged up to your side, “looking for me,” he said making you jump, almost dropping your clipboard.

“Christ Jamie you scared me,” you said, trying to catch your breath and also not make a complete fool out of yourself. “but no, I’m looking for ted. Rebecca needs him to sign something,”

“funny that most girls want my autograph not his,” Jamie said, trying to put on his best charismatic laugh but when you only gave a small chuckle and not a giggle like he was used to him thought he may have to change tactics. “I’ll walk ya. I’ve gotta grab something from my locker anyhow,”

“that’s nice but you don’t have to,” you said, giving him a small smile as you clutched the clipboard close to your chest.

In truth while you were trying to stay professional right now you did have a secret crush on the famous football player. Yes, you knew it was cliche and you knew Jamie flirted with every woman on the planet which is why you were trying to not fall for his adorable smile right now, “ah come on let me keep you company,” Jamie laughed, knocking his shoulder into you, “gets lonely walking these halls,”

You laughed at his dumb attempts at flirting and hated how easily you were falling for it, “ah yes the three-minute walk might be the end of me,”

“good thing you’ve got me to keep ya going love,” he joked.

This banter and small talk were the longest conversation you think you’d ever had with Jamie, and you couldn’t help but notice that while ted was signing the papers, he hadn’t actually grabbed anything from his lockers. “tell you what love,” Jamie said as he held the locker room door open for you, “I’ll even walk you back to where I found you,”

“oh, wow Jamie Tartt, such a gentleman,” you joked.

As you neared the gym again, laughing at one of Jamies dumb flirty jokes you bumped into Sam who said hello with a very concerned look on his face. After he said goodbye to you and you headed back to your office he turned to Jamie with a far more serious look, “what do you think you’re doing?”

“eh nothing?” He said, completely caught off guard by the seriousness in Sams tone.

Sam sighed and stepped in closer to Jamie, “it better be nothing. She is a good girl she doesn’t deserve to have her heart played with,”

“calm down Sam I’ve no done anything,” Jamie said as he tried to get past his teammate, but Sam grabbed his arm to stop him, “seriously man I’m not gonna hurt her,”

“Jamie, I know what you’re like. And that’s fine you can do you. But I won’t let you hurt my friend,” Sam said sternly.

Jamie rolled his eyes as he took Sams hand off his arm, “for your information. I’m a changed man. I plan on being the perfect gentleman from now on, alright?” He said but Sam just narrowed his eyes, “honest man. Getting bored of all this casual pish ya know?” Jamie said as he stuck his hands into his short’s pockets.

It wasn’t fully a lie. Jamie had been getting bored of all the one-night stands and the drama that came along but Sam just narrowed his eyes further before silently heading back to the gym. Jamie rolled his eyes as he followed along and headed to jump on an exercise bike, ignoring how Sam had gone to go whisper to Issac.

A knock on your office door made you look up with a smile, “hey Sam, you alright?” You asked as you shut down your laptop for the day.

“yes of course,” he said as he walked into your office and slumped down onto the chair in front of your desk, “just wanted to see my friend, is that a crime?”

“I’ll allow it,” you laughed as you packed your bag, “you need a lift home?” You asked as you grabbed your car keys.

“I wouldn’t say no,” he grinned as he jumped right back out the chair and you both began your decent to the car park, “but I was wanting to talk to you about something,”

“what’s up?” You said as you locked your office door.

Sam sighed as he followed you through the corridors, “what’s happening with you and Jamie?”

You shrugged, honestly not sure yourself what was happening, “nothing really, we were just talking. Did he say something or?” You asked.

“kind of,” Sam said, his face screwing up for a second, “he said he was a gentleman now, but I worry. I don’t want you getting hurt,”

“I’m a big girl Sam,” you joked, nudging him, and making him laugh, “besides he’s Jamie tart. I doubt he meant it,”

“according to Issac he does,” Sam said which honestly made you more surprised than anything. You spoke to Issac even less than you had Jamie, so it was weird to think of him and Jamie having deep conversations about settling down, “apparently, he wants to settle down or something. I don’t know whether to believe it but why would Issac lie?”

“weird,” you muttered as you and Sam finally reached the car park and he held the door for you to slip out, “besides that doesn’t mean he wants to be with me,”

“don’t put yourself down,” Sam said, nudging you with his elbow as he sent you a reassuring smile, “he’d be lucky to even get one date with you,”

“you have to say that” you said as you rolled your eyes and pulled out your car keys.

As you were unlocking your car the door to the car park opened again and out walked a freshly showered Jamie, his hair still clearly damp. He didn’t have a right to look this attractive you thought but you’d been looking for too long as when Jamie looked up, he caught your stare.

He waved with a wide grin as he headed over to his own car across the lot. You gave a small wave back as you slipped into the driver’s seat. You glanced across through Sams window to see he was still looking at you and you prayed to god he couldn’t see how flustered you were as you tried to start the car. Sam had seen though, and merciless teasing followed you the whole drive back to his house.

Jamie figured he had time, so he spent the next two days flirting with you in the corridors despite Issac and Collin reminding him he only had to Sunday. However, Sunday was matchday and you were always in the owner’s box with Rebecca. While she was your boss you had grown quite close, so you often sat wedged between her and Keeley as you tried to keep up with the team.

“did Jamie just wave to you?” Keeley asked as Jamie ran onto the pitch. Your blush was undisguisable as you tried to shrug it off, “omg babes you fancy him?” She practically squealed as she clutched your arm.

“maybe I don’t know,” you said, hating the way his name was already making you smile. “he’s your ex though so- “

“nah babes go for it. I’ve got Roy now. Oh, we could double date how cute!” The rest of the match was spent with Keeley telling you how perfect it would be, and you figured if his ex-spoke so highly of him then how bad could he be?

The match went smashing with Richmond winning three nil and soon you were in the press room stood next to Rebecca as ted got interviewed and you took notes. You looked up confused when Rebecca nudged you, but she just nodded towards the door. When you looked through the window you saw Jamie lent against the wall by the door and when you looked back to Rebecca she just smirked and nudged you towards the door.

You silently chuckled at the fact she’d obviously listened to yours and Keeley’s conversation as you made your way to talk to Jamie. “hey,” you grinned, shutting the door behind you softly. “you did great out there,”

“was easy with you cheering me on,” he smirked as he started walking down the corridor with you following after him.

“who said I was cheering for you?” You joked.

Jamie held a hand to his heart in mock offence, “love you’re breaking my heart here. Here I was coming to ask if you wanted to go celebrate my glorious victory,”

“cocky much?” You laughed but rolled your eyes at the way he smirked, “fuck off not like that,”

“didn’t say a thing,” Jamie shrugged but the devious smile on his lips said something different. “c’mon whatcha say love?”

You paused for a moment, crossing your arms as you turned to face him, “what did you have in mind?”

“you, me, fancy restaurant,” Jamie said, stepping closer, his finger brushing over your cheek so gently it felt like a feather, “some nice wine. Just some wholesome fun,”

“wholesome fun?” You laughed, trying not to get lost in his eyes. It was unfair this allure he had on you.

Jamie chuckled softly, “course babe,” the pet names sounded so good coming from him and his accent, “haven’t you heard? I’m a gentleman now,” he said, his hand falling from your face making you miss his touch but laugh at the way he placed his hand over his heart, “scouts honour,”

“were you even a scout?” You laughed as he shook his head no with a cheesy grin, “suppose one date wouldn’t kill me,”

“trust me love. You won’t regret it,”

You didn’t want to say you were shocked, but Jamie was right. The night had been perfect. You ate some of the best food in your life, drank some ridiculously expensive wine, and even started to flirt back with Jamie over dinner. He really was pulling out all the stops.

He wore his best suit, with a shirt as well even if he couldn’t bring himself to ditch the trainers. He pulled your chair out for you, ordered dessert to share, he even insisted on walking you home at the end of the night. “guess that’s me,” you said as you stood by your front door.

“guess so,” Jamie smiled as he looked down at you, “told you you wouldn’t regret it,” he said, completely ruining the moment but making you laugh as you unlocked your front door.

“give it time. I might regret it later,” you joked as you opened your door, half wondering if Jamie was going to try invite himself in. You were also wondering whether or not to let him. The night had been good after all, and you weren’t usually so strict on the three-date rule.

“I’ll text ya yeah?” Jamie said since he had only just got your number on the walk home, “better not be a fake one you gave me,” he joked.

“you’ll have to wait and see,” you laughed. Maybe he wasn’t going to try make a move then you thought, “goodnight, Jamie,”

Jamie stepped forward. He’s going to kiss me you thought but instead he leaned in to leave a soft kiss on your cheek, “night love,” he said quietly before stepping back, grinning at the way he had left you speechless, “see ya soon babe,” he said as he began to walk down the street.

You waved after him, unable to speak before you closed the door behind yourself. This really had been the perfect date. Maybe Jamie was a gentleman now. When you went to get changed you felt your phone buzz and you laughed when you saw the text.

-just checking – Jamie

You laughed, texting him back instantly.

-as if I’d give you a fake number lol

Jamie grinned when he saw your reply before tucking his phone into his jacket pocket. However, as Jamie was walking home a thought crossed his mind. Fuck, what if he really did like you? Sure, Jamie knew the bet was probably a morally wrong thing to do but it was for a Lamborghini, Collins prized car. He spent the rest of his walk home telling himself it was alright, even if he did end up liking you what was the harm? He’d date you for a month then give you a clean, mess free break up.

Then another issue started. Jamie had fallen for you head over heels. You’d spent the whole night texting, the next week constantly flirting or hanging out after practise. Within two weeks you had been on three dates and Collin had commented on his dedication to win this car which only made Jamie feel worse.

He’d kissed you on your second date after visiting the movies. He even waited till after the movie was finished to do it. It did not help him not fall for you. If anything, it made it harder to stay away from you. Your third week dating you hung out every day whether it be grabbing lunch or making dinner at his house.

The only drawback was Jamie having to turn down your advances, insisting he wanted to take it slow. But by week four he didn’t even mind not having sex. The casual nights watching telly was enough for him. The way you would cuddle him on the couch or how you would lounge around his house with him, both of you wearing his sweats and hoodies. Seeing you in his hoodie melted his heart.

“three more days and the cars are yours bruv,” Issac had said to him during practise and Jamie realised a terrifying thought. What if you found out?

Jamie shrugged it off, trying to forget about it the whole time but it weighed him down the whole practise. Jamie deliberately hung back in the locker room that night, making sure he could catch Collin alone, “maybe we should call off the bet mate,” he said quietly as the last person exited the room.

“why? Scared she’s gonna dump ya?” He laughed as he patted his shoulder before leaving the locker room and now Jamie was left alone to feel like shit.

That was till a gentle knock snapped him out of his thoughts, “ready to go?” You smiled from the locker room door. Jamie put on his best happy face as he grabbed his bag, wrapping his arm around you as you headed to the car park.

The whole walk Jamie was silently thinking about the shit he had landed himself in. Then again, the bet never said he had to break up with you. Issac had said only him, and Collin were allowed to know. He could just let Collin keep his car and no one would need to know. Yeah, it would be fine. He was sure of it. Everything would be fine. Jamie had no idea how wrong he was and how badly this week was going to end.

Jamie tried to push it out of his head that night, but it was now the only thing he could think about. You were both laying on the couch, you being the big spoon while he rested his head on your chest. “You okay baby?” You asked while stroking his hair. “You’ve been quiet all day,”

Jamie was snapped out of his thoughts glancing over to you with a small smile, “Sorry love. Just one of those days you know?”

Jamie tried his best to act normal for the rest of the night but when it came time for him to say goodnight and head back to his place, he found himself unable to pull away when he hugged you. “You sure you’re good?” You asked, your face pressed into his chest while his head buried into your shoulder.

“Course love,” Jamie said, placing a soft kiss to your shoulder, “Just gonna miss you is all,”

“Jamie,” you laughed, pulling him off you, “You will see me in legit less than twelve hours,” you said smiling as you leaned up to kiss him gently, “I’m not going anywhere,”

“Promise?” He said, his eyes sheepishly looking to the floor.

You laughed as you reached out, taking his pinkie in yours, “Promise,”

For the next two days Jamie was extra cuddly, extra lovey dovey, and extra boyfriendy all round. You weren’t sure what had gotten into him, figuring maybe the one-month mark was a bigger deal to him than you first thought. You ended up getting dragged into one of Rebecca and Keeley’s girl talks and when you told them about it. “Maybe he wants to get serious,” Rebecca said as she snacked on one of Teds biscuits, “He might just be nervous about it all. I wouldn’t worry,”

“Yeah babes,” Keeley said as she gave your arm a squeeze, “Jamie legit adores you he’s probs just nervous cause you’re his first long term girlfriend,”

“You think?” You said, nervously picking at the threads of your jumper.

“Totally,” Keeley said, looking to Rebecca who nodded in agreement, “Maybe he’s just nervous about your one-month anniversary,”

“Is that really a thing?” Rebecca asked, sitting down her biscuits in disbelief at the idea one month was a big deal.

Even you looked to Keeley confused, “Well yeah,” Keeley said like it was the most obvious thing in the world, “Its sweet when you think about it. You’ve made him all soft,” she teased, poking your sides, and making you laughed. You were finally able to relax, and Keeley had even suggested getting him a gift.

The first gift you came up with that Keeley instantly agreed upon was sex. You really liked Jamie but this whole taking it slow thing was going really really slow. On top of making sure to wear something nice under your clothes on your one-month anniversary of your first date you had also gotten him, well made, a gift.

You didn’t exactly want to spend tons on a one-month gift, especially since Jamie had expensive tastes with his footballer salary, but you’d picked up a cheap football from a sports shop and a sharpie. You covered the ball in notes ranging from inside jokes to cheesy pick-up lines including ‘my favourite footballer’ and writing ‘you scored the best goal on’ then adding the day of your date. You were quite proud of it but just encase you took a box of chocolates as well.

The day had been so busy that you didn’t even get to see Jamie before you were rushed off to deal with a Rebecca crisis. No matter how busy you were you made sure to text Jamie at least once in the morning but when Jamie saw your text, he couldn’t help but smile.

-Happy one month anniversary babe, pick you up after work for a hot date?

Jamie was blissfully unaware of what was to come as he typed out his response before heading to the pitch. Collin had insisted the bet wasn’t over till the end of practice and Issac had let it slide, seeing the regret in his friends’ eyes when he realised, he was going to lose his car. Jamie couldn’t care less about the car though as he thought he was finally free from the bet.

He wanted to run up to your office as soon as practise ended but Issac insisted, he wait with him and Collin in the locker room till everyone else had left. When Danni finally left the room, waving bye to his mates as he left, Collin let out a heavy sigh as he pulled out his keys. “I can’t believe I’m doing this,” he said, his voice already choked.

“Mate its just a car,” Jamie said, already so fed up and wanting to find you.

“Bruv,” Isaac said, holding a hand to his chest, “a moment of respect,” he said, allowing Collin to whisper a goodbye to his keys as Jamie rolled his eyes, “Okay Collin its time. Jamie won the bet fair and square,” he said as he pried the keys from Collins hands and handing them to Jamie who sighed as he took them.

“I really, really thought she’d have broken up with you by now,” Collin said, shaking his head as he collapsed onto a bench, his head hanging low.

Jamie rolled his eyes at the dramatics of it all as Issac patted his shoulder, “I didn’t think he could go without sex for this long,” Issac added before nodding at Jamie, “Fair play mate but if you do dump her just don’t be a dick about it,”

“And for the love of god do not dent the car,” Collin pipped up as he lifted his head however when he did Jamie noticed all the colour draining from his face, “Eh mate. Bit of a situation,” he muttered, nodding his head towards the door.

Jamie spans around on his heels and his heart dropped to his stomach when he saw you stood there, tears already trickling down your face. Jamies mouth dried up as he searched for the words when the ball and chocolates slipped from your hand and clattered to the floor. “It’s not what- “Jamie tried to say but you were already backing away before turning to run down the corridor. “You fucking idiots,” Jamie yelled at his teammates before taking off down the corridor after you.

You’d think a professional footballer would catch up with you with ease but when Jamie ran into the car park you were already unlocking your car. “Wait,” he yelled, running over, and closing the door with his hand you’d tried to open.

“Why?” You spat, “Do you need me to prove you won?”

“Babe its- “Jamie tried to say, his hands reaching to hold your shoulders.

You slapped them away in an instant, “don’t babe me,” your voice was filled with anger but the tears streaming down your face was what broke Jamies heart, “You fucking used me. For some fucking bet. Is that all this was to you?”

“No of course not,” Jamie said, his hand grabbing his hair as he backed up slightly so at least you weren’t trapped against the car, “it was just some dumb bet but it’s not like I don’t like you. I really fucking like you,”

“Yeah right,” you scoffed turning to get in the car before stopping, “What did you even win?”

Jamie didn’t know if this would make it worse or better, but he knew lying was definitely the wrong choice, “Collins Lambo,” he said, his voice sounding more like a question as he waited to see your reaction.

“You only dated me because of a fucking car?” You yelled, not caring who heard anymore, “You broke my heart because of a car?!”

“I didn’t wanna hurt you-fuck,” Jamie said, his eyes growing wetter with each second as he tried not to throw up from the guilt, “I promise you that I like you. I think I fucking love you and I’ve never felt this way before and- “

You sighed, turning away as you tried to choke back a sob, “Be honest with me Jamie,” you said, refusing to meet his eyes, “If they hadn’t made the bet, would you have ever asked me out?” You waited for his response but when you turned round to see his jaw hanging open, his eyes wide, you knew the answer. “Don’t talk to me. Ever again,” you said as you jumped into your car and quickly sped off.

Jamie had well and truly fucked it. He felt like his body was on fire as he began to slap his own head, muttering a thousand fucks under his breath. Meanwhile you were trying your best not to be blinded by your own tears as you drove home alone to curl up on the couch and wallow.

A few hours passed and you were still on the couch with a massive tub of ice cream and a million texts from Keeley asking for a follow up from your ‘we broke up’ text. You couldn’t even bring yourself to text her back let alone go answer the door when someone rang your doorbell. Then it rang away. “Go away,” you groaned, sinking further into the couch.

Ring. Ring. Ring. The bell echoed through the house till you tore yourself off the couch, ready to go scream at the idiot at your door. But when you pulled it open and saw his big guilty brown eyes staring back at you, you couldn’t say a word. Especially not when you noticed the red puffiness around his eyes and the way they were already watering again.

“Is that my hoodie?” Jamie asked, his voice quiet and broken as he nodded to the oversized hoodie covering your frame. You paused for a moment before nodding silently. Jamie sighed, his eyes growing sadder, if possible, “Can I come in?”

You paused again, not knowing if your vocal cords could even manage the potential screaming match. Jamie shuffled on his feet, his eyes moving to the floor before you finally spoke, “Fine,” you whispered before heading back to sink into the couch.

Jamie followed, shutting the door behind you both and tentatively walking to your living room. His eyes scanned the room and he almost cried when he saw the ice cream, blankets, and crappy reality show on the tv. He’d made you cry. He’d broke your heart. No matter what happened he knew he could never forgive himself for that.

"I know I had no right coming over here," he started as he sat on the opposite end of the couch trying to give you as much space. You were already curled up on the other end, your eyes glued to the now muted tv as you avoided his gaze, "and believe me I know I don't deserve ya. But I couldn't walk away leaving you thinking I didn't like ya because I did and I still do," he said, his voice dripping with desperation as he searched his pockets.

He began to pull out one post it after the next making you look up at the sound of paper ruffling. They were all pretty crumbled up but Jamie picked them up one by one, "I love how smart you are and how you seem to know everything but don't explain things to me like I'm stupid," he began to read off the post it's chucking them on the couch before grabbing the next, "I love how when you laugh you look at the ground to try hide your face,"

"I love how we can lay on the couch together and not say a word

I love when you hold me and scratch my head

I love when you get sleepy during a movie and crash out on my arm 

I love hearing your snores even if you pretend you don’t

I love holding your hand in public and getting to show you off to my friends"

Jamie continued as he read off at least 40 more post its which you picked up one by one as he grabbed the next. When he went to grab another your hand reached out to stop his and for a moment you allowed yourself to enjoy his touch, "I know it's not as good as the football," Jamie said softly, "but I mean it all. And I hate myself for hurting you,"

"you should never hate yourself," you muttered making a small smile creep on Jamie's lips, "When did it stop being just a bet?" you asked, scared for the answer.

"During our first date," he said making you look at him with a raised eyebrow, "I swear. I was blind for not seeing you before but on that date, it was--you were incredible. I couldn't stop thinking about you all night. I tried to call of the bet, but Issac thought I was just scared to lose," Jamie rambled before pausing for a moment and sighing," I never wanted to hurt you. I promise. You have to believe me," he said as he reached for your hand.

"It's just hard," you said, your voice already choking up again making Jamie almost cry himself, "and I really want to believe you because for fucksake Jamie, I love you too," the words he had longed to hear shot daggers into his heart.

"If you want to never hear from me again, I’ll go," Jamie said, holding your hands tightly and making you finally meet his eyes again, "but if you'll have me ill spend every day making this up to you. I promise. You, this, us. It's the best thing that's ever happened to me,"

You paused for a moment as Jamie's heart pounded in his chest, "One more chance," you whispered making Jamie break out into a grin, but you quickly added, "but if you so much as step a toe out of line,"

"I won't," Jamie cut you off as he gripped your hands tightly, "I’ll do whatever it takes. I’ll be the perfect boyfriend, honest," you couldn't help laughing a little at his eagerness. Jamie raised your hands to his lips, pressing a kiss to each of your knuckles, "

#ted lasso #ted lasso imagine #ted lasso x reader #ted lasso fluff #jamie tartt #jamie tartt x reader #jamie tart x reader #jamie tartt imagine #jamie tartt fanfiction #jamie tartt x you #jamie tartt x y/n #jamie tartt fluff #jamie tart fluff #jamie tartt angst #ted lasso angst

[onceuponaoneshotfanfic]

Playing Pretend (Roy Kent x Reader)

Request: Hey, I was wondering if you'd do a Roy Kent x reader series (maybe) where she asks him to pretend they're boyfriend/girlfriend because her ex-boyfriend is marrying her somewhat younger sister. Kinda like The Wedding Date (if you've seen it). Ends up happily ever after?

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

Part 8

Part 9

Part 10 (Final)

#request ❤️ #roy kent playing pretend #he's here he's there he's every fucking where #roy kent #roy kent x reader #roy kent fic #roy kent fanfiction #roy kent fluff #roy kent fanfic #ted lasso #ted lasso fluff #ted lasso fic #ted lasso fanfic

[ultralightpoe]

Anti-hero - Roy Kent

Authors Note : Based off a request I got {Could you do a Jamie or Roy fic with a girl who feels self conscious as their date to a gala or something? Lots of fluff and comfort! If you don’t want to write it, no worries 💜} A quick reminder that you are all beautiful and truly wonderful. You all deserve the world, and I hope you all find your own Roy Kent. -Ultralightpoe

Word Count: 3,997

Warnings: self doubt. curse words

Requests: OPEN

Main Master list - - Midnights Event List

(Thank you for the gif @50shadesofpemberlypost )

x Enjoy x

I have this thing where I get older but just never wiser

Midnights become my afternoons

When my depression works the graveyard shift

All of the people I've ghosted stand there in the room

- 

It had been an issue for years, one that was directly caused by your mother. 

It’s not that she was a villain, and it wasn’t like she knew she was doing it anyways, it was always something that just managed to slip out of her mouth in passing moments . A quick ‘that shows your back fat’ there and a ‘are you sure you like that color? It washes you out baby’. Always said with that tone that made you rethink every decision in life. 

She did it out of love. 

But the comments she made built up, that and the pressure of school and social media building up. It all took a toll on you. You found your life mixed with new issues. Anxiety, self-doubt, depression, and you became a new person. 

It was like a shadow version of you, one that tracked how much she ate and thought about how loud she laughed and how much was too much talking. Every single move you made was tracked and overthought.

But then Roy came into the picture. 

At first you did what you usually did, you tried to speak low and not draw too much attention. Tracking how much you laughed and how much you ate. It was fine because your friend group never really realized it, they didn’t know a thing was out of place. But Roy, who had been brought by his sister, was quick to call it out. 

“Fucking stop that.” He muttered when you tried to fix your skirt, using his hand to slap yours away. “You look fucking perfect. Take a breath, yeah?”

“I just…. I’m debating the color, everyone else wore pastels and I hadn’t realized that it would be that type of party.” You admit, body hot with embarrassment as a group of girls pass you at the party. But that was the least of your worries, you had eaten too much cake and had tripped on the stairs in front of your friends. Could everyone see your makeup on your neck? Were they laughing at you-

“Do you overthink everything?” Roy blurts, catching your elbow to pull you back gently as a waiter with a heavy tray passes by. “Because I’ll tell you right now that you’re the prettiest fucking woman at this party.”

“You can’t say that at someone’s birthday party.” You laugh, stepping closer to him without realizing. “That’s one of the biggest rules. It’s like saying someone is prettier than Aphrodite. Next thing you know that person will be cursed to marry your father because the goddess hates you.”

“I’m sorry?”

“It’s…. Greek mythology. I’m not going to marry my dad. It… okay. I’ve ruined this so I am just going to-” You move away quicker than he can follow and you think that it was over. But you had not known just how determined Roy Kent was. 

Soon enough he was taking you out, one date became 4 which led to a relationship. 10 months in and you were the happiest you had ever been. He saw you, in every outfit and every mood and every way, and he loved you just as you were. 

But there was something you didn’t expect, the amount of attention that would come with dating a professional football player. It was a whole new demon in itself. 

- 

I should not be left to my own devices

They come with prices and vices

I end up in crisis (tale as old as time)

I wake up screaming from dreaming

One day I'll watch as you're leaving

'Cause you got tired of my scheming

(For the last time)

- 

Lunches with your mother were the worst, and yet you loved her more than anything. Today she chose an extremely fancy restaurant dressed in a Valentino outfit and her makeup to perfection as she cut her salad up with her fork and knife. 

“Oh this is dreadful.” She sighs, shaking her head. “There is barely any chicken in here. This is insane. Do you see chicken?”

“There is chicken.” Roy shrugs, narrowing his eyes a bit. Lunches with them were always such a weird dynamic considering they were exact opposites. Your mother looked for drama, she thrived off of arguing. Roy chose brutal honesty, he worked best on shutting arguments down before they could even start.  “It’s right there.”

“Oh, baby that is a terrible color on you.” She huffs, sitting the plate back down and turning her glare on you as her hand raises to call the server over. “It washes you out. What have I told you about-”

“She looks fucking stunning today.” Roy scoffs, blinking slowly. 

“It’s fine.” You whisper to him, trying to defuse the situation. 

“No, it’s not.”

“Now I read somewhere that there is a big fundraiser gala coming up, it was in the paper. I assume you both will be attending.” Your mother begins, smiling when the server starts heading over. “You should let me dress you darling. I know how you get anxious about that all and I want to make sure you look your best.”

“She’ll look bloody fantastic in anything-”

“Oh you finally decided to serve your table.” Your mother interrupts him, talking to the server and completely disregarding your boyfriend. 

He takes a moment to lean over to you, catching your eyes. “I’m about to stab my fork into my fucking eye.”

“I know.” You smile, leaning in closer to kiss his cheek which makes him growl a bit at the pda but you see the smile he fights off anyways. “We’ll be gone soon.”

“You look great and the dress you pick will be fantastic. Don’t listen to her.” He gruffs out. 

“Have you seen those posts of you two? They were commenting on your age difference and I just want you to know that I do not think you are too immature for him. Truthfully honey I am proud, I never thought you’d make it with someone so accomplished. I mean it’s not like you had many prospects.” She laughs as the server sends Roy a wide eyed look while taking her plate away leaving the table once more. 

“That’s it.” Roy snaps, slamming his silverware down on the table and pointing his finger at her. “You watch how you speak to her. She’s perfect. And she will be a bombshell at the gala.”

Your mothers face flushes, blinking at him slowly as Roy goes back to his meal like nothing happened while you fight off a smile, your foot rubbing his calf under the table in a silent thank you before you try to pull it back only for his legs to slam shut keeping your foot held there. 

He sends you a sharp look, but the corner of his mouth curves up and you know that was his way of showing his love so you take it, smiling right back at him. 

- 

It's me, hi, I'm the problem, it's me

At tea time, everybody agrees

I'll stare directly at the sun but never in the mirror

It must be exhausting always rooting for the anti-hero

- 

The dress you chose for the gala was perfect, you were excited to wear it and truthfully you were excited about the whole thing. This would be the first event you had ever attended with the Richmond team in the public eye, and you wanted to make a good impression. 

But your mothers words from the years rang through your head constantly as you waited for their practice to end, leaning against the wall in the hallway as you thought about everything. 

“Oh! Hello.” A angelic voice rings out, pulling your attention to Rebecca Welton coming down the hallway, making you stand up quickly. 

“Ms. Welton! Hi, hello, hey…. I’m saying hi in too many ways.” You blush, moving to shake her hand. “It’s great to see you again.”

“I was just about to say the same thing. Are you waiting for the boys?”

“I am, yeah. My car is in the shop so I need a ride.” 

“Oh lovely, will I be seeing you at the gala? I have been planning it for weeks, my ex husband used to plan it. The wanker.”

“I’ll be there. I just hope I dress well enough.” You laugh slightly, but her eyebrow raises and you panic slightly. Did everyone on this team just see right through all your shit? 

“You’ll look perfect. I wish I still had a figure like yours.”

“ANGEL!” Someone calls out before you are lifted into the arms of Danny Rojas, kissing the side of your face as he swings you around. 

“Alright. Set her down, will ya?” Roy snaps, coming around the corner and rubbing his knee as Danny sets you down quickly, kissing your cheek one more time before heading away. You lean forward and rub Roy’s knee right where you know he feels the most pain. 

“Is it hurting a lot?” You mumble, as he pulls your hand away. “Sorry, did I hurt you?”

“No, I just don’t want to moan in the middle of this hallway. Let’s go home?” Before you can even answer he is grabbing your bag and moving to take you to the car. 

- 

Sometimes I feel like everybody is a sexy baby

And I'm a monster on the hill

Too big to hang out, slowly lurching toward your favorite city

Pierced through the heart, but never killed

- 

Roy was in a shit mood the day of the gala, slamming cupboard after cupboard. You knew he was irritated about having to dress up and see the reporters that used to write about him all the time, and you knew in moments like this it was best to let him work through it. But sometimes you just couldn’t stay away. 

Shuffling closer, in his shirt, you wrap your arms around his center and shove your face into his back. He huffs out as he keeps swiping  the sponge against the counter, but he doesn’t push you away so you take a chance and kiss between his shoulder blades. “It’s going to be okay. What they say about you doesn’t matter.”

He sighs out, letting go of the sponge before turning around in your arms and wrapping his own around you, placing a kiss on your forehead. 

“You were young and they were assholes for that…. So fuck them.”

“Fuck them.” He repeats. 

“You’re going to walk by them in your fine ass suit with your fine ass body-”

“Please don’t objectify me.” He mumbles, but a smile is already on his lips as he leans down to kiss you deeply before pulling back. “And I will have the brightest fucking gem with me tonight.”

“Oh, c’mon.” You blush, trying to pull back but his arms are tight around you. 

“I think we need to fuck.” He huffs kisses at your face again. 

“Don’t be so crass!” You laugh, trying to escape him and shuffling you both to the bedroom right as your phone rings. “It’s my mother.”

“No. Don’t answer.”

“I have to, or she’s gonna be mad.” You answer back, watching his face turn dead serious as he looks at you. His hands come up to rub at your jaw. 

“You listen to me you little rat.” He mumbles, you fighting back a laugh at the nickname. “Don’t listen to a word she says, because you are beautiful.”

“I won’t. I promise.” You promise, kissing his lips deeply and losing yourself to the kiss for a moment before he pulls back and shuffles to continue cleaning the counter. You swipe your thumb across the screen and mumble out a “Hello mother.”

“Oh you’re there! I thought you were about to ignore my call.” She snaps through the phone. 

- 

Did you hear my covert narcissism I disguise as altruism

Like some kind of congressman? (Tale as old as time)

I wake up screaming from dreaming

One day I'll watch as you're leaving

And life will lose all its meaning

(For the last time)

- 

You broke your promise, and you let your mother get the best of you. 

Her words from earlier bounce around your mind as you get ready. You debate whether or not your hair looked healthy as you spray hairspray across it. Did it look greasy? Untamed? Could they see your split ends?

Was your nail polish the wrong color? Was there a patch of hair on your legs that you missed? Did the dress color wash you out? Did you look too heavy? Was it too late to cancel?

“You look…. “ Roy blinks, coming up behind you to help zip the dress. “Fuck.”

“Is that good?” You ask, biting at your lip as he leans to kiss the nape of your neck. 

“Good? You look bloody amazing.” He snaps, kissing your neck one more time before standing straight. “Now let’s go make money.”

“What are we fundraising for? I never looked into it?”

“I have no fucking clue.” 

“Right.” You laugh, turning with your hand in his as he kisses your knuckles softly. “Then let’s go make money for whatever needs money.” 

“Make a fortune.”

- 

It's me, hi, I'm the problem, it's me (I'm the problem, it's me)

At tea time, everybody agrees

I'll stare directly at the sun but never in the mirror

It must be exhausting always rooting for the anti-hero

- 

Your lip was worn down from the amount you had been biting it. 

Walking up to the gala you saw a red carpet with dozens of flashing cameras and begin to panic as you get closer, your hand tightening in Roys as he stands straighter. You would not be able to handle the cameras and see your picture all over the internet. What would people say? They would trash you, oh how bad would it be?

But Roy, ever the perfect man, simply held your hand tight and walked across the red carpet with a confidence that made your skin hot. He muttered to each that called his name, his voice deep and uncaring. “No. No. Fuck you. Fuck off. Fuck no.”

A smile blooming across your face as you let him lead you into the building where everyone is walking about with drinks in their hand. 

“I’m going to go get us drinks. Your usual?” He asks, waiting for your nod before heading in the direction of the bar leaving you standing there to take a look around. 

You took your chance to look around at everyone around you, smiling at anyone you make eye contact with. The anxieties began rising, as every gorgeous female passed you in their perfect dresses. Was your dress cheap looking? Did you look pathetic?

You were caught up in your thoughts as Jamie approached with his date, a model that introduces herself with a hug that makes you sniff caramel, leaving you with a crater in your chest as you look at her perfection. Jamie talks about the gala, looking around at everyone as a flash makes you blink, all three of you turning to the person that just took your picture. 

“The actual fuck?” Jamie scoffs, staring at him. “We were having a conversation, ye?”

“Sorry.” The man nods, moving to walk off and bumping into Nate with another apology. “Didn’t see you.”

“Hi Nate.” You smile, trying to seem calm when he walks up. “You look great.”

“Thank you! Mr. Lasso actually bought me this suit.”

“Who?” You blink, trying to see who he had been talking about. It wasn’t meant to be a snappy or snide comment, you had yet to be introduced to the new coach and the name didn’t ring a bell at first. But the second you saw the man with the mustache owning the crowd not far off you knew who Nate was talking about. 

But when you turn back to Nate you see a glare set on his features, his cheeks a little red as he blatantly looks away from you. “You look great, Jamie. You as well Keeley.”

Then he walks off, bumping into you harshly as he passes which makes the blonde look at you with wide eyes as Jamie excuses himself for another drink. 

“Oh, that was extremely rude of me. I shouldn’t have asked about the coach- that was-”

“What are you talking about?” She blinks, looking extremely confused. “You didn’t do anything wrong?”

“Here you are.” Roy grunts, handing you the chilled glass. “Keeley.”

“Hello Roy.” She smiles before Jamie whistles to pull her over. 

“Did he just call her like she was a dog?” You ask Roy as she walks over, and he shrugs. 

“He’s a wanker. Always has been and always will be.” Roy grunts out, rolling his eyes. “He doesn’t ever pass the ball. And he is a massive tool. You should hear some of the things he says to-” He begins to explain as you try to smooth out your dress before his hand shoots out to stop you. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Your answer was too quick, his eyes narrow and he catches it. 

“What happened?”

“I just…. I think I upset Nate because I asked to Lasso was and I didn’t mean to and everyone here looks amazing. But I’m fine. Everything is fine.” 

“Did that little fuck say something?”

“No. It’s fine Roy. Everything is fine.” You smile, leaning forward to kiss his lips which he allows before moving back and holding his hand knowing he doesn’t like pda.  “Let’s go find our seats?”

- 

I have this dream my daughter in-law kills me for the money

She thinks I left them in the will

The family gathers 'round and reads it and then someone screams out

"She's laughing up at us from hell"

- 

“Hello Roy, you handsome devil you.” A southern voice rings out, walking up to where you and Roy were seated together. “And what pairs so well with a handsome devil? An angel.”

“The devil is technically… well historically the devil is an angel.” You blush, immediately feeling stupid as the fun fact slips from your lips. “Well, I mean- I’m sorry that was stupid.”

“Stupid? Absolutely not. I feel ashamed that I didn’t know it.” He laughs, leaning to shake your hand. “My name is Ted, all my friends call me Ted which means you must.”

“It’s wonderful to meet you. Roy was telling me about all the new techniques at your practices.” You smile, making your boyfriend shake his head. 

“I said nothing good.” Roy huffs.  

“He said everything good.” You smile which makes Ted smile back. 

“You both look fantastic. Have a drink on me, since it’s an open bar.” Ted jokes, moving to walk away as Roy places his hand on your lower back. 

“Why the fuck would you tell him that I said good things?” He huffs and your stomach drops. 

“I’m sorry. It was just teasing and you do always say great things about him so-”

“Take it easy. You are fine.” He shakes his head. “Are you okay?”

You hadn’t noticed but your fists had clenched and your nails were digging into your skin, his own fingers were quick to make you release the hold and rub his thumb over the crescent marks left on your skin before bringing your hand up to kiss your palm. 

“I thought you hated pda.” You whisper, leaning so your foreheads were pressed together as he pretended to roll his eyes. 

“Fuck it. I have a gorgeous date and I deserve to kiss her in public.” 

“Are you sure? It’s a big move for you.”

“Have you seen yourself? Prettier than the goddess aphrodite.” He smiles and your eyes widen. 

“How. Dare. You! What have you done? I’m going to have to marry my dad now. Roy, how could you have done this to me?” You laugh, shaking your head. “I also cannot believe you remember that from almost a year ago.”

“Of course I remember.” He blinks. “That was the first conversation I had with the love of my life. Who would forget that?”

“Oh knock it off.” You mumble, shaking your head. 

“Knock it off? Knock what off?” He snaps. “Do you realize how fucking lucky I was that day? The day you looked at me? My life was made. The second best day of my life.”

“Second?”

“Second. My niece’s birth is the first.” 

“I’m fucking honored.” You laugh, smiling from ear to ear. 

“Did you just cuss?”

“I did. I’m sorry. My mother would kill me.” You blush. 

“Can I be honest with you for a second?”

“When are you not?”

“Fuck your mother.” He blurts, which makes your eyes widen. “I hate her. I think she is miserable and you are far fucking prettier than aphrodite and you don’t have to worry about the goddess making you marry your dad because I will be marrying you. No goddess or god could keep me from you.”

“Oh yeah?”

“You’re stuck with me. And I need you to stop being to fucking mean to yourself. You hear me?” He asks seriously. “Because that’s the love of my life you are talking about.” 

“I can try.” 

“Good. Now lets get another round and wait this fucking gala out. Then lets go get actual food because I know you skipped lunch.”

“Sounds like a plan.” You smile before a flash blinds you once more, making you both whirl to the man with the camera. 

“You fucker-” Roy begins to stand as he dashes off. 

- 

It's me, hi, I'm the problem, it's me

It's me, hi, I'm the problem, it's me

It's me, hi, everybody agrees, everybody agrees

- 

You both end up at a late night potato stand, sitting on one of their benches as you both laugh at the memory of the auction that had taken place. 

“A fucking grandma bid on me. You know how embarrassing that was?”

“Hey! I bid on you too!” You laugh, body shaking from laughing so hard. “And Keeley!”

“Keeley was pissing that little wanker off.” He huffs, rubbing your thigh gently as you keep his blazer wrapped around you. “Thank you for coming with me tonight.”

“Thank you for bringing me. I am sorry I upset Nate-”

“Stop saying sorry. You have nothing to be sorry for.” He mumbles, leaning to dig his spoon into your baked potato and take a big mouthful of it. “Fuck. That is good.”

“You say that about anything I get! You always do this!” You laugh, pretending to pull the potato away. 

“You always choose better!”

- 

It's me, hi (hi), I'm the problem, it's me (I'm the problem, it's me)

At tea (tea) time (time), everybody agrees (everybody agrees)

I'll stare directly at the sun but never in the mirror

It must be exhausting always rooting for the anti-hero

- 

“Fuck!” You wake up to the sound of Roy yelling from the kitchen, rushing to wrap yourself in the sheet left on the bed from last night as your feet pad across the floor to find where he is at. 

You find him sitting on the couch with a cup of coffee, glaring at his laptop, until he sees you coming out of the bedroom in just a sheet. 

“Fuck.” Unlike his last curse this one is said with a lusty tone, setting the coffee down as you come closer to the couch and move to sit by him. 

“What’s got you so mad, handsome?”

“They posted a picture of me and they said I’m retired. What fucks.”

“Is it a bad idea? To be retired?” You ask, moving to straddle him before he can pull an attitude. “You would have more time with me. More time to hang out and cuddle and sleep and…. You can finish the rest.” 

“.....Fuck.”

#roy kent #roy kent imagine #roy kent angst #roy kent fluff #roy kent smut #roy kent x reader #roy kent fic #roy kent fanfiction #ted lasso imagine #ted lasso apple tv #ted lasso angst #ted lasso smut #ted lasso x reader #ted lasso fic #ted lasso spoilers #ted lasso fluff #roy kent ted lasso

[calzone-d]

pool day with ted

Sunscreen (Ted Lasso x Fem!Reader)

this was a ‘first pool day with ted and the team’ type deal but it quickly turned into its own fic. thanks anon!!

a/n: idk the word count and this was most definitely not proofread.

tw: alcohol/drinking but that’s it i think!!

find my masterlist here.

——

the team had settled on a beach day, apparently it had been a long time coming.

you and ted had a flirty, teasing relationship that had developed over the past few months and you were looking forward to his reaction of seeing you in your swimsuit.

keeley helped you pick out one that was a little showy but still tasteful, because at the end of the day you did still work with these people.

the trek down to the beach wasn’t bad, and everyone quickly claimed their loungers before heading into the water. ted obviously sat his stuff down next to yours in a heartbeat, which only boosted your confidence. you’d been bantering back and forth all morning, and it had reawakened that longing for something more deep inside you.

after he draped his towel over his chair he quickly got caught up in a conversation with beard and roy. behind him, you made small talk with keeley as you slid your cover up off and applied some sunscreen. ted didn’t miss the way beard and roy glanced over at you while they slightly drifted off from their conversation.

everyone knew ted had a thing for you, especially his fellow coaches, and they couldn’t wait to see his reaction at you in this deep burgundy string bikini. as soon as he turned around to see what caught their attention, you were moving towards him with a bottle of sunscreen in your hands.

“ted, can you get my back please?”, your smile almost made him faint. he couldn’t stop the way his eyes slowly flickered down your body as he sputtered, trying to remain respectful while falling victim to his mind’s instincts.

keeley had conveniently walked off to talk to a few of the players and helped them set up their beach volleyball game.

ted’s mouth opened and closed a few times before he cleared his throat, “oh- uh, yeah I can.. yeah.”

you slyly but your lip and watched him take the tube of sunscreen with shaky hands.

they trembled lightly against your skin as he brushed your hair to the side. you held back a shiver at the feeling, hoping he didn’t notice the goosebumps that scattered across your skin.

thankfully everyone else had seemed to drift into their own conversations as he worked the lotion into your back. he was uncharacteristically quiet, and seemed to rub it in for far longer than he probably needed to.

you didn’t dare say anything to him, but after a few more seconds he seemed pleased with his work. either that or he couldn’t handle having his hands on you any longer.

“there you go, angel.”, your cheeks flushed at the nickname he’d picked up over the past few weeks.

ted tossed the tube of sunscreen back into your bag, expecting you to run off to meet keeley. in an attempt to stop himself from scaring you off, he didn’t say another word and turned to find beard.

“wait, ted!”, he quickly turned around at the sound of your voice.

your heart pounded in your chest as you made a move on him. a small move, but enough to make you feel like you’re going to shit your pants nonetheless.

“you don’t- did you put sunscreen on yet?”

“uh, no.. i didn’t. usually just bypass it n’deal with the burn later.”

your eyebrows crinkled at him. “c’mere ted..”

there wasn’t a chance in hell he’d be able to resist you calling his name like that.

you would’ve thought ted was just learning how to walk by the way he awkwardly stumbled towards you. wanting him to relax, you coaxed him to sit down.

“here, sit..”, he sat on the edge of the beach chair while you got on your knees behind him.

after his back was to you, he slipped his thin t-shirt over his head. you didn’t miss the way his biceps flexed as he pulled it off, and you definitely didn’t even try stopping your eyes from trailing over his broad shoulders. a deep blush spread across your cheeks as you imagined them towering over you.

sure, you had a hefty appreciation for them underneath his clothes, but now? it took all the strength you had not to press soft kisses to the light freckles scattered on his skin.

trailing your eyes down, there was no way you were going to look over his love handles. you knew he was kind of insecure about being a bit out of shape, but if he only knew how bad you wanted to grab onto him. they seemed perfectly molded for your hands.

before he could grow suspicious you cleared your throat and grabbed the tube of sunscreen.

you put a healthy amount of the sunscreen in your hands and rubbed it between your palms in an attempt to warm it up. still, when your hands made contact with ted’s shoulders, he jumped.

the sunscreen could’ve been boiling hot and he still would’ve jumped solely from the feeling of your hands on him.

your hand on his arm after a funny joke was already almost too much, but he was certain the feeling of your hands on his bare skin would bring him to an early death.

ted’s shoulders were still tense as you rubbed the sunscreen in.

“you okay, coach?”

“me? oh, uh- i’m good. m’fine ‘n dandy over here”, his awkward chuckle made your heart beat a bit faster.

even in the sweltering heat, you swore you felt goosebumps under your fingertips as they ran back and forth over his broad shoulders. mentally, you mapped out each little freckle, trying to commit it to memory.

moving your hands back towards his neck, you applied more pressure, “relax, ted..”

he was quiet now as he slowly relaxed his shoulders and let out the breath he was holding. the sunscreen had been rubbed in, at this point you were basically giving him a massage. thank god it was just the two of you, because surely one of the other coaches would’ve slid a knowing remark in somewhere.

the feeling of him just breathing underneath your bare hands had you feeling all fuzzy. by the time your hands got to his mid back, there was no more sunscreen.

you pulled away to get more, and if you listened close enough you swear ted whimpered at the loss of contact. he turned around but as soon as he realized you were just getting more, he settled. in the back of his mind he was hoping and praying you didn’t notice how desperate he seemed.

it’s not even that he was desperate, he was just desperate for you.

he let out another deep breath as your hands worked the muscles of his lower back, and you were so happy to see him finally relax.

“feel good, teddy?”

ah, there it was. the nickname you reserved for moments where you really wanted to tease him and see him blush. no matter how ted his cheeks got, he couldn’t deny that he loved it.

“y-yeah.. feels amazing, hun.”

now it was your turn to blush at the pet names. ted slowly slipped into the habit of calling you “hun” after finding you upset in your office after work one day. there was no doubt the coaches and team had picked up on it, but you were lucky enough that they didn’t say anything to your faces.

he didn’t want to stop calling you that. it was the closest he could get to doting on you. a nicknamed reserved for him to call you.

and you sure as hell didn’t mind. all you could manage back was a sweet hum and a tiny shuffle towards his back. ted leaned back ever so slightly in a poor attempt to meet you halfway.

before you could open your mouth, sam’s voice interrupted you.

“coach! do you want to come play beach volleyball with us?”

now, all eyes were on you and ted. well, most eyes.

“oh, uh.. sure thing, sam! be right there!”, he turned around after watching sam walk off.

“think i’m protected from the sun now?”, he teased with a smirk.

your chuckle made his heart pound as you replied, “for a little while at least. come back in about an hour though, yeah? don’t want you getting burnt.”

ted stuttered a bit at that. he was used to the light teasing and flirty banter, but definitely wasn’t used to the idea of someone taking care of him. not even someone wanting to take care of him. if he hadn’t already been in love with you before, he sure as hell would’ve been now.

his silence scared you, but luckily he spoke before you could sputter out an awkward apology.

“y-yeah, okay. better be waitin’ for me, missy.”, thankfully he turned away after winking at you because if not, he would’ve seen you internally combust.

you watched him walk away and bit your lip watching his calf muscles flex as he walked through the sand. the way his biceps flexed as he caught the volleyball almost made you moan. before you could get any further into your thoughts, keeley walked over with the cooler you two had packed.

“oooh, looking at your man, huh?”, her voice was cheeky as always. she sat in the chair beside you and tossed you a seltzer and a can holder to put it in.

“my man? yeah, okay.”

“oh, babe, stop that. i just watched you rub sunscreen on his shoulders for twenty minutes like you were in some porno.”

“that- he didn’t want to get sunburnt!”, your voice went up about four octaves.

“yeah yeah, whatever you say babe.”, she teased. you two got settled in the beach chairs and sipped on your drinks while you had some girl time.

keeley gave you the latest on her and roy while you both worked on a pretty strong buzz.

an hour and a half later, the buzz turned into being straight up drunk. keeley had you cackling at a well-timed sex joke before changing the conversation.

“ooh, y/n, look! here comes your work husband.”, although her voice was relatively quiet it suddenly seemed like she was screaming.

“keeley- what.. don’t-“

keeley giggled and relaxed back into her seat while you turned to face ted.

he looked like a dream walking towards you. a sheer layer of sweat had made its way to his forehead and shoulders, and his chest was heaving. you hadn’t really gotten a good look at his figure from the front until now, and being drunk made it so much worse.

dark hair was scattered across his chest and belly with some grey sprinkled in here and there. he wasn’t ripped, but was working the dadbod in all its fashion. those shoulders were just as broad from the front.

the sunglasses you were wearing were your saving grace, because you felt like a straight up perv the way you were basically eye-fucking him. you could only imagine what the hair across his belly lead to. does he keep it trimmed? does his-

your thoughts were interrupted once he got closer.

“hi ladies!”

“oh, hello ted! having fun yet?”, keeleys voice sounded so knowing. there was no way she didn’t sense you checking him out.

“oh yeah! that lil’ game we had goin’ on got me out of breath though. think i might go see what roy ‘n beard are up to in the water here in a second.”

your head was spinning as he sat down next to you on the edge of your chair. not only were you pretty drunk, but he was sitting so much closer than he was earlier. even the slightest touch of his thigh against yours had you dizzy.

“m’ready for my sunscreen now, madam.”, ted said cheekily. you drunkenly giggled at him and sat up to grab the sunscreen. with your movements being slightly hindered, you stayed sitting criss cross applesauce and just shuffled towards him. he turned his back to you as you got a handful of sunscreen.

keeley announced her plans of going to the bathroom before leaving the two of you alone.

without your filter to stop you, you blurted out, “i like your freckles, teddy.”

you couldn’t even regret it at this point.

“yeah? i honestly forget about ‘em. cant really see back there, ya know?”, ted laughed.

what he said was typically funny but your drunk mind found his words hilarious in the moment, and you couldn’t stop the giggles that left your mouth.

“what’s got you laughin’ like that, hun? s’it me?”, he sounded amused and you’re sure he had a smile to match his tone.

without thinking you let yourself lean forward and press your cheek to his back as you kept giggling. between the laughing and alcohol you couldn’t even find it in you to be embarrassed or pull away. it felt too nice, even with the greasy sunscreen. it was ted.

your hands had dropped down to his sides, but you didn’t pull them away. luckily, ted seemed to have the same idea. as you giggled away, he brought his hands down to cover yours and giggled with you.

ted had been dreaming of being this close to you for so long. so touch starved, but only for you. a swarm of butterflies fluttered around in his stomach as your eyelashes fluttered similarly against the skin of his back.

he didn’t move his hands even after your laughter died down.

“yeah, you’re pretty funny, teddy. jus’ a funny guy.”

he didn’t miss the way your words were slightly slurred as your spoke. you felt like a deer in headlights as he turned around.

“woah now, you okay there hun?”

cue the giggles again. “m’fine teddy. wait, turn around i think i missed-“

his hands grabbed at yours again, “promise?”. the crease in his eyebrows appeared when they furrowed. although you should’ve been responding, you found yourself even admiring the wrinkles on his face, sending you into another fit of giggles. you were so far gone for this man.

“yes, coach”, you huffed sarcastically with a fake salute.

ted laughed, a good belly laugh you always loved to hear, and turned around. he shook his head as he laughed, but it was full of admiration.

you lazily rubbed sunscreen into the places you previously missed and let out a yawn.

“tired?”

“mm”, you hummed, “just comfy”.

you let your hands fall softly to the skin above his waist as you scooted closer to him and pressed yourself against his back again. this time, it wasn’t just your face. after you got settled you had to basically wrap your arms around his middle with how close you were.

it didn’t dawn on you until now that keeley had been gone longer than expected, but you silently thanked her for giving you some alone time with ted.

you settled with one hand wrapped against his belly, and the other one resting against the back of his leg. one of his hands came up to hold yours that was pressed against him, silently keeping it there.

instead of speaking, you smiled a soft smile and nuzzled further into his back, knowing he’d understand the silent ‘i like this’.

you played with the fabric of his swim shorts where your hand was sitting behind his thigh, and your eyes fluttered closed against his back.

it felt like you were high, with the way your head was spinning and you were pressed up against ted. you could feel him breathing, feel his bare skin against your cheek. your senses were overwhelmed with him, and it was dizzying.

ted was in another world of his own. the way you softly nuzzled into his back after he held your arm to his abdomen was just the reassurance he needed. even in the heat, your warmth felt like heaven to him. the way your dainty fingertips played with his shorts almost had him squirming.

surprisingly, when keeley came back neither of you made an effort to move.

“wh- oh. welcome back to me”

ted was silent, but your giggles were enough of an answer for her. being the good friend she is, she silently sipped her drink and opened up her book. you knew she wasn’t reading, but you loved her even more for pretending to.

ted’s fingers had begun tracing over the skin of your hand, and you flexed your fingers into the skin of his belly. the hair was scratchy but his skin felt so soft. it was so him.

“coach!”, beard yelled from the water. you tensed slightly, but relaxed at the feeling of ted gently squeezing your hand.

beard had started his trek up to where you were sitting, and your heart leaped when ted made no attempt to move.

“do you…”, beard trailed off as he eyed ted before giving him a sneaky thumbs up. “..want to come check out the water?”.

this was code for: you need to come here and tell us all about this, and how we’ve been right.

“yeah, i’ll.. yeah.” ted seemed almost sad as he softly patted your hand that was still holding tightly to him.

“i’ll be there in a sec, beardo.”, ted gave beard a single nod before turning back to you.

that was code for: hold up, i cant leave it like this

you softly pouted at him without even realizing it. “m’gonna go see what they’re all about over there, hun. i’ll be back okay?”, his voice was soft and gentle as always. but now, it just felt a bit different. good different.

ted watched as your eyes trailed down to where he was still holding your hand.

“come back for more sunscreen, ‘kay?”

“what if I just wanna come see you?”

you felt like you were going to combust. right there on the beach in the public eye.

“mmm” you hummed contently, “i guess that’ll be okay.”. ted laughed at your sarcasm and gave your hand a squeeze.

“drink some water, darlin’. i’ll be back in a bit. holler if you need me, okay?”

you nodded up at him, “mkay, teddy.”. he stared at you with eyes full of adoration while he watched you settle back into your beach chair.

“keeley, make sure she gets some water, will you please?”

keeley gave him a very overdramatic salute, “sir, yes sir.” as he walked away, sending the two of you into a laughing fit.

once it died down, she turned to face you. “c’mon. you cant even deny it anymore!”

you smiled hard and giggled once more, “i don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“teddy?”, she replied. “darling? he is totally your man.”

thanks for reading!

#ted lasso x reader #ted lasso #ted lasso thoughts #ted lasso imagine #ted lasso fluff #ted lasso fic #ted lasso blurb #ted lasso fanfic #ted lasso masterlist #ted lasso drabble #sorry for going mia #promise i’m here

[rhombiee]

In my heart of hearts this is what their relationship boils down to and I will not be taking criticism at this time

#ted lasso #ted lasso season 3 #jamie tartt #roy kent #ted lasso fanart #ted lasso fluff #ted lasso art #Dani’s Tulip #ted lasso spoilers

[moonlightspencie]

Help Me Hold on to You

Description: Ted and the reader struggle with balancing mental health and everyday life. (Based on The Archer by Taylor Swift)

Pairing: Ted Lasso x fem!Reader

Warnings: depictions of anxiety and panic

Word Count: 8.9k

A/N: one of my all time favs that i’ve written (and, not to sound conceited, one of my favs in general bc it was super self-indulgent hehe). originally posted on tumblr. then dropped onto ao3. now it’s back on tumblr.

“Hey, Y/N. Whatcha up to?” Ted burst into your shared office, a wide-eyed look on his face.

You shook your head with a smirk, “Just going over the last game, trying to figure out what we can do better next time.”

You paused the video on your laptop, shutting it and looking up to him expectantly. He pulled a chair up next to you, suddenly looking a little nervous.

“I know that look, Ted. What’s wrong?”

He shook his head, plastering on a smile. “Nothing.”

“You wouldn’t have come interrupting me unless you had something you wanted to talk about.”

His face dropped, nodding slowly. “I’m getting kind of sick of you reading me like a book, sweetheart.”

“No, you’re not.”

He chuckled, looking back at you. “Okay, guilty. Uh, I’m not sure how to address this, so I guess I better just come out and say it, huh?”

You nodded back at him, silent, but with a reassuring smile.

He clapped once. “So, uh, nobody really knows about this, but I’ve been dealing with some anxiety lately. I, uh— I don’t really want anyone knowing about it, so if you could…”

“I’ll be quiet as a mouse in a trap.”

He raised a brow. “Morbid.”

“My colloquialisms can’t be as silly and polished as yours, friend.”

He smiled. “Guess not. Don’t really have room in my head for ‘em right now, though.”

You shrugged. “That’s okay. I like you whether or not you’re acting like a landscaper’s favorite machine.”

He paused for a moment, trying to put the pieces together. Then, his face lit up.

“Chipper?”

You simply pointed at him with a wink.

“Nice,” he said with a smile. He looked back down to his hands, smile melting. “So, um, I guess I just wanted you to know. That was the reason I had to leave the game, actually. It wasn’t food poisoning, but it just seems easier to let people believe that, you know? But, anyway. You seem to be good with these kinds of things, and I just… I don’t know.”

“Sometimes it’s nice just to tell someone, yeah?”

He nodded with a small grin. “Rebecca’s seen it happen once, but I think that’s about it. I made an appointment to speak with the doc, but I just couldn’t.”

“Why not?”

He shrugged, head shaking. “It’s bull.”

“Ted, you remember what you told me when I talked to you about my issues with trust?”

He raised a brow. “I told you nobody good would hurt you like…”

“You told me that all people are different people. You’ve said it a few times around me, I know you’ve told other people the same. And you know what?”

“What?” His brows sat raised.

“You need to start taking your own advice.”

“I don’t like when you do that.”

“Do what?” You laughed.

He chuckled with you. “When you’re right. I’m not supposed to be a quitter, either.”

“Not for the good things, anyway, huh?”

He nodded. “Thank you.”

He started standing, but you stood with him before he could go anywhere.

“Hey, there’s something I want you to know, too.”

“Shoot,” he said, gesturing for you to continue.

“I deal with anxiety, too. A lot, actually.”

He furrowed his brow. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Didn’t want you to worry.”

“Well, now I am.”

“Don’t. I can cope, I just— I want you to know you’re not alone in this, okay? I get panic attacks, anxiety attacks, I deal with more minor symptoms pretty much every day. And you know what? It doesn’t make me any less of a person. Doesn’t make you, either.”

You saw the tears that began to prick his eyes, but decided to leave that situation alone. Instead, you pulled him in for a hug. He hugged back hard, burying his face in the crook of your neck. You heard him take a few shaky breaths before he pulled back, wiping at his eyes.

“I’m sorry…”

“Don’t ever apologize for vulnerability. Least not to me, cause I know exactly how you’re feeling and it’s okay. I promise,” you reached for his hand, giving it a squeeze.

He smiled at you, trying to hold back from letting any more tears fall.

“Thank you.”

“It’s nothing, Ted. I do want you to try going back to doctor Sharon, though. She’s a good woman.”

He nodded, glancing at where your hand still held his own. He squeezed it again, then left you to get back to your work. You sat for a while, unable to focus on anything but what he’d told you. You hoped like hell he had really listened to you.

It wasn’t until the next day that you’d found he’d both listened to and simultaneously completely ignored you. You were walking down the hall from the office when you saw him.

“Hey,” you called out to him, both hands on his chest to stop him from moving when you got close enough. “Your appointment is supposed to be right now. What happened to—”

“I can’t do it.”

He grabbed one of your wrists, trying to move you. You refused to budge.

“No. Uh-uh. Why did you leave?”

“I’m not talking to someone who’s only there cause she’s paid.”

You raised a brow. “Excuse me, Lasso. Are you not getting paid to do your job?”

He huffed out a sigh.

“Don’t you get attitude with me,” you dropped your hands, but didn’t move from where you stood. “I gotta go, but you’re trying again tomorrow, you hear me?”

“Y/N—”

“You’re going. Non-negotiable.”

He dropped his shoulders. “Fine. I’ll try.”

You nodded once, a smile of victory on your face. “And by the way, I think Keeley’s smoking in the boot room. Might wanna see what that’s about, yeah?”

He tilted his head, a chuckle leaving him. You patted him on the shoulder as you passed to leave the building.

Your day from then on was a long one. You were running around with Beard for part of it, trying to work on strategy for the upcoming game against Man City. The whole Richmond team was on edge, and you were beginning to worry that the nervousness alone might end up being the end-all to the game. You were a firm believer that winning had as much to do with the power of the mind as the power of the body. If they were going in thinking they were going to lose— lose they would.

“That’s a little dramatic,” Beard said over his beer.

You rolled your eyes, sipping at your drink.

“It’s not. Same line of thinking as Ted’s ‘Believe’ sign. I’m just being a little more explicit about what I mean when I say it.”

He chuckled. “You two are more alike than I think you even realize, you know?”

“I think I realize.”

“Do you?”

You shrugged, nodding slightly.

“Both crazy about this team, and even more crazy about you,” you teased, flicking at the brim of his hat.

He hid a smile behind his glass. “Your never-ending optimism and knack for flattery is also pretty similar.”

You hummed in agreement. “Can’t argue with ya, there.”

“So, what do you think we should do, then?”

You shrugged. “Find some way to cheer up the team. Get them excited for the game rather than scared of losing.”

He nodded, brows raised. “Any way of implementing that?”

“I’ll figure it out, I’m sure.” You leaned back. “Remember that game against Kansas State? Our boys were so freaked about it all, then Ted did his thing and got them so excited to play…”

“Beat their asses.”

“Yeah, we did.”

You both went in for a quick high five before continuing.

“Remember how he did it?”

“Told ‘em they needed to loosen up. We had a dance party and ordered pizza.”

You smiled. “Yep. What do you say we make something like that happen again? Day before we travel, let’s do it.”

He smirked, a brow raised. “Sounds perfect. You gonna tell Ted?”

You shrugged. “I think he could use the surprise just as much as the players.”

He narrowed his eyes at you.

You put your hands up. “What’s that look about?”

He just shook his head silently.

“I’m not treating him any different.”

He raised a brow, sipping at his drink again.

“Ted’s been going through it lately, I just think he needs a little cheer up. Nothing else.”

He set down his drink, then sat up straight, eyes still trained on you.

“Quit lecturing me, Beard,” you chuckled. “I know you always think I have some thing for him, but why can’t it just be that I care about people, huh?”

“I see through it.”

You paused for a moment. “I hate that.”

He smirked, and you both finished eating.

You went home yourself, denying a walk-back from Beard. You appreciated the gesture, but the air was beginning to feel thick and suffocating. The last thing you wanted was for him to see you like that.

As much as you tried pretending like the state of the team wasn’t affecting you, you knew that trying to be the fixer for this situation was weighing on you. More than you thought it would.

You tried swallowing, feeling your throat pretending to swell just to spite you. You rushed even faster towards your flat, feeling that the oncoming attack wasn’t going to be so routine.

As soon as you were in your door, your knees hit the floor, head between your arms on the carpet. You tried to control your breathing, but it was no use. Tears fell, though you’d hardly noticed as you’d refused to open your eyes. The bleariness you were bound to find if you opened them would only make the situation worse. You began to worry about passing out if you couldn’t control your breathing, and decided to roll yourself onto your side, whole body pushing through tremors you hadn’t felt in a few months, at least.

The ringing of your phone didn’t aid your situation. You desperately hoped it wasn’t an emergency, because there was no way you’d be able to make it over to where you’d dropped your purse. But, it kept ringing. Four separate calls over the span of probably half an hour.

It was another good half an hour after the calls had stopped before you were composed enough to open your eyes, and pull yourself into a sitting position on the ground. Though, you wouldn’t have known. Time never seemed to make any sense in those situations.

You worked on breathing in and out slowly, wiping away at any remaining tears. The shaking hadn’t yet ceased, but at least that was manageable. Right as you started trying to stand, you heard the loud buzzing of someone asking to be let in. You made it over, asking who was there.

“It’s me. Are you okay?” Ted’s voice came through.

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine. Hang on,” you said, letting him in.

It wasn’t long before a knock was at the door, and you wished he wasn’t so quick. No amount of post-panic-primping in a fifteen-second slot could make you look presentable enough to get past him. You opened the door, putting on a smile and hoping he would be too preoccupied with something else to look directly at you for too long.

His face dropped the second he saw you, of course.

“What’s wrong?”

You shook your head. “I’m okay.”

He walked in, leaving you to close the door and follow him.

“No way, McConaughey. You can’t hide tears from me, I got eagle eyes for that sort of thing.”

You crossed your arms. “I’ve just had a long night.”

He watched you for a moment, picking up on the fact that you wouldn’t be sharing any time soon. He nodded slowly.

“Okay, that’s fine. If you don’t want to talk right now, that’s okay,” he smiled softly, then wrapped you in a tight hug.

You welcomed it, arms wrapping around his middle, head buried in his chest.

“You were honest with me,” you started after a moment, “so, I guess I should be with you. I just came down from a pretty bad panic attack. I couldn’t breathe, hardly made it home… I just—”

“It’s okay,” he said, rubbing your back as he spoke. “We don’t have to talk about details. Thank you for telling me.”

You nodded. “Thank you for coming.”

“You always answer when I call. I knew something had to be up.”

“What if I was just in the shower?”

“You still always call me back right away. I had over an hour of radio silence from you.”

You chuckled. “I didn’t know you had it down to such a science.”

He laughed back, pulling away from you just enough to see your face.

“There she is,” he said, a smile on his face.

“And she is a mess.”

“We all get a little messy sometimes, though, don’t we?”

You nodded. “Gotta agree with that.”

He looked at you for a moment or two with a soft smile on his face, and as much as you didn’t want to admit it, especially since Beard was also on your ass about it, that was the moment you knew. You felt your heart rate pick up, and didn’t know what to do but escape. You stepped back, leaving him looking a little confused.

“I think I need some sleep, Ted.”

His eyes were wide, looking at you. “You sure you’re okay?”

“I’ll be fine. I just need time alone, now. I need rest.”

“Okay, yeah,” he nodded, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Uh, alright, well I will see you tomorrow bright and early, right?”

You nodded, giving him a quick smile.

“Anything else I can do for you?”

You shook your head. “No. I’m okay.”

He nodded again, watching you with those big, worried eyes. You wished he would stop with that. He waved a quick goodbye, leaving you alone.

You settled into bed, though you were unable to sleep. You couldn’t stop thinking about the team. Or Ted. Or the fact that you couldn’t help but self-sabotage any chance you got. You wiped away a few stray tears, and closed your eyes, hoping sleep would take over soon.

You woke up from a couple hours of sleep to a text. Of course, from Ted.

- Excited to see you today for coaches meeting :) I’m proud of you

You sighed, setting your phone down next to you. The guy didn’t seem to have a single mean bone in his body, and here you were wallowing in the fact that you couldn’t help but feel like you brought down everyone around you. As much as you tried to remain positive in every situation, you knew your mood affected the people around you whenever you were a little down in the dumps. You got up, hoping you could at least try to disguise it as well as possible for the day. At least for the morning.

You stopped to get coffee on the way in, delivering each drink with a smile. You sat next to Ted to watch the tapes, giving him the most convincing smile you could.

“You seem better today,” he said quietly, a smile on his face.

You nodded. “Yeah.”

The next few days you were preoccupied with setting up the party for the team, and luckily it kept you busy enough to not fall back into the hole you’d had to crawl out of. If there was one thing you were proud of, it was your ability to pull yourself out of the hardest places. Maybe it wasn’t always through the best methods, but you figured that doing what you needed to was working just fine. If it ain’t broke, after all.

“Howdy, howdy!” Ted chimed, walking in.

You shut your laptop quickly, still taking pride in the fact that you were successfully keeping the event from him.

He quirked a brow, nodding towards your laptop. “What’s that about?”

“Nothing you need to worry about right now. What’s up?”

He rubbed his hands together, leaning against your desk with a cheesy grin.

“Guess.”

“You got another jar of barbecue sauce?”

He laughed. “Yes, actually, but that’s not what this is all about, buttercup. It’s about you.”

You furrowed your brow. “What?”

“Well, kinda,” he said with a light chuckle. “I’ve been seeing the doc a lot more frequently, now.”

You lit up. “Oh, I’m so proud of you!”

“You’ll be even more proud in a second. Get this, she actually said that she’s glad me and you are friends.”

You crinkled your nose, laughing. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I told her about all of your help over the past few sessions, and she told me to tell you, little lady, that I am lucky to have you.”

He nudged your shoulder as he ended the sentence, and you hoped he wouldn’t notice how you tried hiding a smile.

You felt heat rise to your cheeks as he finished out by saying, “I gotta say, I agree with her.”

“In that case, you’re welcome.”

He smiled again, hopping up to sit on your desk. “So, what are you up to?”

“You’ll find out later. Later today, actually.”

He raised his brows. “Oh yeah?”

You nodded, “Mhm. I really think you’re gonna love it, too.”

He gasped, “Did you get me those funky shoes from Gucci I showed you the other day?”

“What?” You scrunched up your face. “No, of course not. Those things were horrible.”

He paused, as if to say something, before raising his brows and nodding in agreement.

“Okay, so what is it?”

“Wouldn’t be much of a surprise if I told you, would it?”

He dropped his shoulders. “Aw, come on. Telling me you have a surprise and not saying what it is… That’s worse than telling your dog you’re going on a walk then leaving him home.”

“No, it isn’t.”

“You’re right, that’s just evil. But you know I like to know things.”

You reached over, patting his knee. “I know, but I think you can survive til after practice.”

“Training,” he corrected.

“Ted, we’re both American. You don’t need to adjust your language with me.”

“See, that’s why I love talking to you,” he laughed, poking at your shoulder.

You shook your head, “Okay, now get out of here so I can finish up.”

“I’ll see you at practice, huh?” He raised an eyebrow, looking a little too pleased with himself for switching up his terminology.

You laughed. “See you there, coach.”

Beard walked in a while later, looking at you expectantly.

“Yes, I’m almost ready. Pizza will be here about ten minutes before we’re done, so I’ll excuse myself a little early, and I’ve got Keeley and Higgins doing some decorating in the locker room while we’re out.”

“You know my favorite thing about you?” He asked as he sat down in his seat.

“Fact that you don’t have to actually say anything to talk to me?”

He smirked, nodding. “Exactly.”

You both laughed, then sat back and waited for the boys to make it to the locker room. Ted came in, a big smile on his face as he did.

“Hey, there are two of my favorite people on this whole planet!”

“Still not telling you,” you said, giving a glance at Beard.

He only shook his head, going back to his book.

“Hey!” Ted exclaimed, pointing to Beard. “You know, too?”

“Know what?” Nate asked as he walked in.

You kept talking, “Keeley and Higgins, too. Oh, and Rebecca, actually, but she can’t be a part of it today.”

Ted glared at you as he went to his desk chair, Roy coming in behind him as he did.

“You talking about what Keeley told me she can’t tell me about?”

“Yep,” you responded, leaning back in your seat.

He grunted in response, arms crossing over his chest. You all worked on the game plan for ‘training’, then headed out with the team to get started on the last home practice before the big game. You knew nerves were high the whole time, and were all the more focused on making sure your little pizza party was a relief for everyone. You excused yourself to bring in the pizzas with your two accomplices, and then waited outside the door until the team came barging in. You heard shouts of approval from them all as they saw the decor and food, smiling as the work you’d done was starting to prove to be a good idea. Beard and Ted wandered in a moment after the last boy was in the locker room, a smile on Ted’s face as he heard them all.

“This the surprise?” He asked as he approached you.

You smiled, nodding. Beard moved past you to enter.

“Remember Kansas State?”

He raised his brows, smile only growing. “You didn’t.”

You nodded once more. “I did.”

He scooped you up in a hug, spinning you around.

“You are the best,” he said, setting you back down with a kiss to your cheek. Luckily, the smile on your face could easily be chalked up to the surprise paying off rather than the show of intimacy from your friend. “Well, come on, let’s shake a leg so I can shake some booty.”

You laughed at that, following behind him into the chaos.

“Hey!” He called out to everyone. “Y’all say thank you to Y/N for all this.”

A chorus of ‘thank you’s erupted, and you laughed as Ted pulled you into his side.

“Couldn’t have done it without Keeley and Higgins, y’all. They did all the decorating, I just recycled an old idea of coach, here.”

The team chuckled, then went back to celebrating as the music started.

He looked to you, eyes narrowed. “You’re being way too modest. This happened cause you put your heart and soul into this team.”

“I learned from the best, Lasso.”

He looked at you quietly, a small smile on his face, then shook his head. He pulled you into the small crowd, and you all spent the next couple hours letting loose before you had to check in with reality again.

The party seemed to have helped. Morale was up as you prepared for the game, and at minimum you knew that even if you still lost, they likely wouldn’t take it quite as hard. That helped your conscience, if anything.

One more thing that took a weight off of your shoulders was what happened before the game even started. Ted told the other coaches about his struggles with anxiety before the game. He came clean about it all, and you knew he felt good about finally letting it go to them. As the others started walking out, you held him back, making sure he knew just how proud of him you were.

“I wish I had your confidence.”

He patted your back. “But, you also love your privacy. That’s okay, you know? You also do a much better job holding it down than I do when it comes to this type of thing.”

You swallowed. “I’m not so sure about that. I know how to cope the best way I can, but I think it’s much more brave that you decided to open up to them about this.”

“Hey, don’t be hard on yourself about this,” he said, a hand on your shoulder. “Besides, I’m only doing okay right now cause I’m seeing the doc so often.”

“You saying I need to see someone about this?”

He shook his head. “No. You helped me realize that, for me, going to see her was what I needed. I hope in some way I can help you realize that you should do whatever is best for you. We’re all different people with different experiences, right?”

“Right. Thanks, Ted.”

You sighed. Leaning into his side for a moment, then broke away, clapping once.

“Okay, now let’s go win this.”

The game was lost, but everyone moved past it. You knew most of that was because of Ted and his affection for the goldfish attitude, though he tried like anything to convince you they wouldn’t be feeling so okay if it wasn’t for the little morale boost you’d given everyone before it all started.

He’d also inadvertently managed to convince you to see Dr. Fieldstone.

You knocked on her door, and she looked up from her seat to see you staring at her with a smile from the doorway.

“Come on in, coach,” she said, gesturing at the chair in front of her.

You nodded, looking around the room as you sat. You noted the little bird next to you, tapping it just enough to get it going.

“I like your decorations,” you said with a smile, then looked back at her. “Also, please call me Y/N. I hardly let the boys get away with calling me coach outside of games.”

She smiled. “I see.”

“So, uh, it’s good to finally talk with you. I know we’ve seen one another in passing a few times, but I’ve been exceptionally busy lately or else I would have come and given a proper hello. I really appreciate all of the work you’ve been doing with the team. You seem like a very kind, compassionate woman. I’m happy to have you here, honestly.”

She just watched as you talked, a light grin on her face as you did, though most of the humor rested in her eyes.

You paused for just a moment, though when she didn’t speak up, you took it as an invitation to keep going.

“Uh, so, I’m not really sure how this goes. I’ve only been to see a therapist once before and it didn’t go great. Though, I promise I won’t hold it against you. I’ve just learned how to cope on my own after that experience, but Ted kind of convinced me to try to find what would work best for me moving forward, and I thought—”

“I see why you two are so close,” she chuckled. “I feel as though I know you already.”

Your brows raised. “Really? How so?”

“Well, between how talkative you’ve become now that you’re nervous, and the fact that I’ve heard quite a lot about you in general, I’d say I have an idea of who you are.”

You let out a quick laugh. “Gosh, I’m sorry. I get kind of chatterbox-y when I talk to someone new.”

“Or when you get nervous, yeah?”

You nodded slowly, looking down for a moment. “Yeah. That, too. Guess it kinda goes hand-in-hand with some of my anxiety business, huh?”

She shrugged, though gave you a look that implied she’d agreed with your statement. You smirked, as did she.

“You said you’ve seen a therapist once before?”

You nodded. “Yes, but it didn’t seem to help. They hardly listened to me, and then told me that maybe exercising and breathing exercises would help. Gave me that advice four sessions in a row without really ever caring to know why I was dealing with panic and anxiety and everything else.”

She raised a brow. “I’m sorry you had to experience that. Now, I know you might not be able to trust me—”

“Oh, no. I totally trust you, Doc. I’ve seen how great you’ve been with the team, and I learned from a good friend a long time ago that everyone has a different story. You don’t deserve to be compared like that.”

Her brows really shot up with that being said. She nodded slowly, writing something down as she did.

“Well, thank you for that. That was kind of you to say.”

You smiled at her. “I appreciate you. Really.”

“This need to reassure the people around you, do you think that might have anything to do with what you’re struggling with?”

Your eyes widened, almost shocked at the statement. You understood now how she’d made so much progress with Ted. You continued talking about what you needed to, but the session was coming to a close quickly.

“Uh, one more thing, doc?”

“Yes, Y/N?”

“Thanks for what you said about me to Ted.”

She quirked a brow. “And what was that?”

“You told him I was good for him.”

“You are,” she said, nodding. “I think the both of you need to be reminded that you don’t always have to turn on the personality for someone to love you. I think you do that well. Both of you.”

You chuckled. “You… Are one wise woman, Dr. Sharon.”

She laughed. “I am pretty great at my job.”

“Well, thank you again,” you said, starting to walk towards the door.

“Y/N,” she called out, and you turned. “Try to remember that the whole world isn’t on your shoulders, yeah? You believe everyone deserves to know love and comfort, but you are one of those people, too.”

You nodded, taking in a deep breath, then said your goodbyes. You pulled out your phone as you left her office. Being the last appointment for the day, you knew most people had already gone home, but you felt like getting some food. You dialed Ted’s number and waited expectantly, heading towards the door.

He answered, but didn’t speak.

You furrowed your brow, exiting the building.

“Ted?” You asked, waiting for a reply.

His voice came through, shaky and nervous-sounding. “Hey, what’s up?”

“Whoa, hold on, what’s up with you?”

“I— I’m kind of…” he trailed off, taking in a hard breath.

“Are you at home?”

You started walking more quickly, heading towards his flat.

“Yeah.”

“I’m coming to you, okay?”

You heard a sniffle on the other end, and a weak ‘okay’ in response. You hung up, and practically ran the rest of the way there. He buzzed you in, and you were up the stairs, bursting into his apartment in no time. He was sitting on his couch in his undershirt and khakis, clearly having been in the middle of undressing when he got hit with whatever ailed him.

You rushed over to the couch, standing next to him. He looked up at you, still crying.

“Do you want to talk about it?” You asked softly, reaching over to touch his arm.

He shook his head. “Not yet.”

“Can I hug you?”

He nodded quickly, standing up and clinging to you like a child. You held him, hands rubbing up and down his back as he cried, head shaking every so often, disagreeing with the thoughts in his own head.

“I can’t even…” he trailed, mumbling against your shoulder.

“What is it, hun?” You asked, still trying to calm him as much as possible.

“Am I a shitty dad? I don’t—”

“No, no. Of course you aren’t.”

“I can’t even pick up my son from a sleepover. He had a nightmare and wanted to go home and I couldn’t be there for him,” he turned his head, cheek against your shoulder now.

You reached up to run your nails through his hair. “You’re like the best dad I could think of. Even thousands of miles apart, you spend more time talking to your kid than I ever got with my dad in the same house. He knows you love him.”

“I quit on his mom. I’m not supposed to be a quitter.”

“You didn’t quit. You didn’t forfeit. Game time was up, the match was over. Nothing you could do at that point, Ted.”

He sniffled, then nodded. “You really think so?”

“You were both fighting so long for something that only hurt the both of you. It was coming to an end naturally. You just finally had the strength to let it end, even though it was hard.”

He nodded again, and fell silent for a few minutes, still holding on to you for dear life.

“Ted?” You asked.

He hummed in question.

“Can I get you some water? I don’t want you to get dehydrated.”

“Yeah,” he said, then let you go, sitting back on the couch.

You filled up a glass from the tap, handing it to him and kneeling in front of him. He drank some, then handed the glass back to you to set down on the coffee table.

“Good, thank you for drinking some,” you smiled.

He laughed humorlessly. “I’m a child.”

“You just need to be cared for a little bit right now. I know stuff like this is all new to you still, I don’t think being comforted and coddled a little is gonna hurt all that much.”

He smirked. “I guess not. Thank you. For coming here.”

You stood, going to sit next to him.

“It’s nothing. You’d do the same for me. Heck, you kind of have already, you just didn’t have to witness the crying part.”

He chuckled. “That’s… Embarrassing. I’m sorry.”

“It’s not embarrassing at all,” you said, then leaned back into the cushions. “You feel like food?”

“I don’t know if going out right now—”

“I was going to order in. Thought we could watch tv or a movie or something and hang out for a while.”

He looked to you with a soft smile, nodding.

“Yeah, I’d like that.”

The next day, you woke up feeling better than you had in a while. You felt well rested, and even went to pick up coffee for everyone despite it not being a film-watching day. You made your way to the office, though you found it much more somber than you were expecting.

“Whoa,” you started as everyone watched you walk in with the tray of drinks. “Who died?”

Apparently that was a poorly timed question.

You showed up at the funeral, heading right to Rebecca for a hug.

“Hi, love,” you said, squeezing her a little tighter than normal. “You okay?”

She nodded. “I’m alright.”

You pulled back, giving her a smile. “For what it’s worth, you look hot.”

She laughed, “Charming as always, my friend.”

“It’s what I do best.”

You heard the squeal of Keeley before you saw her.

“You look gorgeous!” She said as she hugged you.

“Babe, it’s a funeral.”

“Still look hot,” she said with a grin before moving on to Rebecca.

You gave a quick hello to Roy.

“She’s… Weird about funerals.”

You nodded. “Right. Well, I’ll be back. Ted was supposed to be here before me and isn’t picking up his phone now.”

Roy furrowed his brow. “Really? I’m shocked you didn’t come together.”

You tilted your head. “Why would we?”

“You realize how fuckin’ obvious you are?”

Your face dropped. “Nothing’s happening, Roy.”

He grunted with a shake of his head, and you headed off away from people to try giving Ted another call.

Still no answer.

When it hit his answering machine, you decided to leave it and send a text instead.

- hey, are you okay? i’m at the funeral now. if you show up, i’ll be in the back row waiting for you. if not, i’m coming to you as soon as we’re out of here

You shoved your phone back into your purse, making sure to leave it on vibrate in case he called back. Getting through the day was already hard, and you knew your anxiety was likely going to be more of a when-than-if kind of situation. It only built with the fact that Ted wasn’t getting back to you. You felt like everything was dragging on forever, and it wasn’t until Rebecca was struggling to find the right words in her eulogy that he came in. He sat next to you, squeezing your knee lightly to reassure you as he did, and you gave him a soft smile. Something was off, but even then he had the ability to comfort Rebecca all the way from the back row, continuing to sing the song she’d begun. And, of course, everyone else couldn’t help but join in.

You walked with him to the repast, and took that as an opportunity to ask him about what was going on.

“Ted?”

“Yeah?”

You fell quiet for a moment, unsure of where to start. He started for you.

“If you’re wondering, it was anxiety again. I’m sorry I didn’t respond…”

“Did you at least reach out to Dr. Sharon?”

“Yes.”

You smiled at him. “Okay, I’m glad. Proud of you.”

He smirked, then looked around the neighborhood for a moment.

“Uh, we talked about my dad.”

Your eyes widened. He’d hardly ever talked to you about what happened because he could never get through without crying.

“Wow. Are you okay? I know that’s always really hard for you…”

“She helped me see the good in him again, you know? I was always so angry with him for leaving us, but he did more than leave us. He was…” He trailed off with a shaky breath. You reached over, taking his hand, and he held onto yours firmly. “He was a great dad. She helped me remember that.”

“I’m happy you could talk to her about it, Ted. Seriously.”

He nodded, one hand going up to wipe at his eyes. “I guess it just hit me thinking about today…”

“I know. I’ve been pretty on edge today, too.”

“Are you okay?” He rushed out, looking at you.

You nodded with a smile, “Much better now that I know you are.”

He squeezed your hand, lacing his fingers with yours. You tried to stave off the sick feeling in your stomach telling you to run the other way. You wished you could just enjoy a nice moment with him, but you couldn’t help but feel guilty somehow. He was too good for most people, and you considered yourself one of the ones he was too good for. You let it happen for a few seconds longer before you pulled away, pretending like you needed to check your phone in your purse.

“Get a message?” He asked after a moment.

“Uh, I thought I felt it vibrate. Guess not,” you chuckled a little.

He nodded quietly, shoving hands back in his coat pockets. You walked silently side by side until you reached the house, walking inside and beginning to mingle with some of the other guests there. You felt anxiety building, but tried putting it off. You couldn’t tell why it was getting worse and worse, but it was. Your pulse kept speeding no matter how easy you tried taking it.

But, you knew it was about to get way worse when you were suddenly being pulled away from Ted by Beard as a woman approached him. He watched after you with eyes wide for a moment before he turned to her, and you furrowed your brow at Beard when he deposited you in a different room.

“The hell was that about?” You snapped.

Immediately, you knew you needed to get away. It was hard enough feeling anxious, but the last thing you wanted was for your feelings to manifest as anger. But, manifest they did.

“You said you didn’t feel anything for him like that,” he said, testing you.

You scoffed. “Now is not the time, Beard. Who was that, anyways?”

“Remember the name, ‘Sassy’?”

Your stomach dropped, and you could swear the air had just gotten thinner.

“Seriously?”

He shrugged, a little smug. You let out a hard breath, beginning to walk away.

“You said—”

You whipped around. “Cut the shit, Beard. It’s none of your business.”

Eyes fell on you, and the barely contained attack was coming into swing. You started walking towards the back door and into the fresh air, hoping you could contain it all until you could get out of there and go home.

The door opened only a moment later, and you turned to find Beard staring at you.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have snapped like that, I just—”

“You have feelings for him. I know you do.” He shrugged, coming to stand next to you. “What I don’t know is what’s wrong besides that.”

“I’m fine.”

“You’re shaking.”

You looked down to see your hands shaking hard as you grasped your arms.

“I—,” you felt tears prick your eyes, and looked away. “I can’t fucking tell him. I’ve known him for years, do you have any clue how shitty it’d be to drop something like that on him? Besides, clearly he’s having fun with…”

You stopped, unable to even say another person’s name.

“The doc told me I self-sabotage, but I don’t think this is that. Is it wrong to want him to be happy? I don’t think I’m the bad guy for that.”

“Nobody said you were.”

“Nobody needs to. I’m a fucking mess. I have no right being upset that he’s happy. I’m a piece of shit,” you whispered at the end, closing your eyes. “I— I need to get out of here. I gotta go, I’m sorry.”

You felt your chest heave, trying to get in air through the invisible smoke that surrounded your head. There was no escaping it, now.

Beard reached out for you, but you already started leaving. He called your name, but you couldn’t handle facing him.

“If anyone asks, please just say I got sick,” you said, back still turned to him.

He sighed, watching as you walked away, holding onto yourself as if you might crumble otherwise. He was worried you actually would, but knew you’d only get more pissed if he tried following you now.

You stumbled along the street, not really sure where you planned on ending up. The closest location was on Nelson Road, so that’s where you found yourself after it all, sinking onto the floor of the office and letting all hell break loose. It was bad enough with how you’d been feeling today, but coupling it all with how ridiculous you felt over being angry that someone else had his attention… That was the thing that nearly pushed you over the edge. Crying and shaking led to dry heaving, dry heaving led to darn near passing out, and that all led to sitting on the ground for who knows how long. You’d always been able to pull yourself out eventually, but you weren’t sure you’d be able to this time.

If people really believed that hope kills, you wished they never had to know what being completely hopeless felt like.

Pretending like you weren’t ever affected by the things that hurt you could only get you so far, and now you were feeling the hard edge of realization that being hit by the things that pained you all at once was so much worse than dealing with it little by little.

Now, a room full of people had seen you crack, too. They all saw through it. The jig was up in a small way that felt huge. Your cover-up act was all you had sometimes, and you couldn’t afford to lose it all because you couldn’t handle seeing Ted with another person, or deal with your emotions before they blew up in your face.

You sobbed, unsure of how you were still awake with how much air escaped you and how little you were taking in. You almost wished you would just pass out for a few hours. Just to escape for a moment.

You heard footsteps fall heavy and quickly down the ball, and it only worsened your panic. The last thing you wanted was for anyone to see you like this, but you couldn’t bring yourself to move. You were cemented to the ground, a crying, shaky mess.

“Oh, thank goodness,” you heard a voice that sounded far away, then felt a pair of arms scoop you up and hold you tightly against them. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

You couldn’t stop yourself this time, and just let yourself cry. Ted tried moving your hands away from your face, but you refused to budge.

“Sweetpea, I need to know you’re okay. Can you breathe with me?”

His voice was more clear now, and you heard a tone in it you almost never did.

“Please,” he whispered, and now you knew why he sounded different.

Tears fell against your bare legs, and they weren’t your own.

“Breathe with me, come on,” he coaxed, and you tried your hardest to obey his request.

Once your breathing calmed, you were able to move your hands, though you refused to look up. He pulled you into his lap from where he sat next to you, hands holding you tighter than they ever had before.

“You really scared me,” he said, quiet.

You took in another breath, face against his neck.

“I’m sorry, you shouldn’t be here.”

“What?” He asked, hands gripping you a little tighter. “What do you mean?”

You shook your head. “I’m a mess. You’re supposed to be out having fun.”

He was quiet for a moment before he spoke.

“Why did you…” He huffed out a breath. “I ran to your apartment. Then all your favorite restaurants. I went down all the streets I thought you might have taken, and finally I ended up here. I didn’t know where else to look.”

“Why were you looking?”

“I asked Beard where you were and he said you got sick. You were already not doing so hot, and I knew that was a lie”

“You have better things to be doing right now, Ted.”

“Nothing is more important than being here right now. Nothing. Do you understand me?”

He was taking a harsher tone with you than you were used to. You took a chance and looked up at him to find him in disarray. His tie and jacket were discarded, and his hair was kind of a mess.

“Don’t ever do that again. Please. At least tell someone where you��re going.”

You nodded, taking in the deep worry lines in his face.

“I’m sorry,” you whispered.

“Don’t apologize for that, I just— I was scared.”

You swallowed. “I’m— I’ll be fine. Why don’t you go see your lady friend now.”

He furrowed his brow. “What?”

“I know Beard pulled us away from you two for a reason, Ted. You deserve to be happy. Please don’t let me get in the way of that.”

He raised his brows. “You’re not in the way of anything.”

“Yes, I am.”

“No. You’re not,” he shook his head. “Do you want to know something?”

You sniffed. “What?”

He stroked your cheek with his thumb, then smiled. “She’s kinda pissed at me anyway.”

“Why?”

He took a moment to lean back against the wall, readjusting you in his lap and wrapping his arms around you so that you wouldn’t be able to scoot away. He chewed at his lip for a moment, then looked at you. You stared back, eyes wide, and mascara running all down your face. He couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight.

Hard as you tried not to, you laughed with him.

“What?”

“Your makeup ran harder than anyone on the team.”

You tried wiping away at it, but he grabbed your hand.

“Quit that.”

“Why?”

He shrugged. “It’s kinda cute.”

“Me having a panic attack is cute?”

His eyes nearly bugged out of his head, but stopped when you laughed.

“I’m kidding. Sorry, I couldn’t help it.”

He let out a breath. “Man, I haven’t been that scared since my mom looked in the shoebox under my bed when I was seventeen.”

You smiled, shaking your head. “You didn’t answer me.”

“What?”

“I asked why she was mad at you.”

He nodded slowly, chewing at his bottom lip.

“Uh, well, when I asked Beard where you were and he said you were sick, she was in the middle of trying to get me to go to her hotel room.”

You felt your stomach sink again, looking away in hopes he wouldn’t catch the shift in your demeanor.

He continued, “I told her I had something more important to do. She didn’t like that a whole lot.”

“You did?”

“Yep.”

You swallowed hard. “So, it is my fault.”

He huffed out a sigh. “Can you quit that? I turned down sex to come sit on the ground with you, and you know what? In any case I would always rather be here with you. Panic attack or not. You could literally just ask me to sit on the ground with you and I would always say yes.”

“Well, that’s just dumb.”

He pulled your head towards his chest, resting his chin on the top of your head.

“You always see right through me like I’m a dang department store window. Now, of all times, is when you decide to just… Not get it.”

You played with the buttons of his dress shirt and quirked a brow.

“What the heck are you talking about?”

“You know, I thought you might get it all the times I asked you to come get dinner or coffee with me. Or maybe every time I come bother you and stick around way longer than I normally would with anyone else— and that’s saying something. I was really hoping you’d get it when we were holding hands on our walk today, but of course not.”

He laughed, pressing a quick kiss to the top of your head before he pulled back to look at you. You watched him with wide eyes, questioning his intentions and hoping you weren’t somehow still misreading this.

“You gonna make me say it?” He asked with a smile.

“I’d prefer if you did.”

He laughed, shaking his head. He then looked up at the ceiling, trying to search for the right words to say. They must have come to him, because he looked back to you, and simply stared for a minute before he finally started talking.

“You’re one of the kindest people I know. Like, Mr. Rogers reincarnated. You always know how to cheer me up. You always know how to help me, and everyone else in your life, somehow. I think you’re incredible. I think you are so funny and so talented and crazy smart. I even think you’re stupidly gorgeous when you’ve got makeup running all over your cheeks,” he said with a laugh, then continued when he got reassurance from your smiling face. “I’ve been scared to get close to anyone since… Since the divorce. You made it so easy, though. I’ve known you forever, but now— I guess I just realized a few months ago that nobody’s ever been there for me like you. You never tell me I’m too much. You never expect me to be… I don’t know. You don’t ever expect me to be on all the time. I can just be me, good or bad, and you still treat me the same.”

You watched him with a rapidly beating heart. Though, this time, it wasn’t telling you to run. It wanted nothing more than for you to stay right where you were.

“That’s something the Doc told me. That we’re good for each other because of that,” you said quietly.

He nodded. “I know, and she’s right. She helped me realize I had feelings for you. Real feelings.”

You bit your lip, then grinned. “Are you gonna crack a joke any time soon? Because all of this serious from you is becoming a little scary.”

His face lit up, and he laughed. You smiled with him, leaning into him for a hug. He held you close, taking in several deep breaths and enjoying the moment, then kissed your cheek as he pulled back again.

“Uh, so… Is this just gonna be me confessing and you get to sit there and tell me to do a crap ton of Hail Mary’s?”

You smiled. “There’s my Ted.”

His brows raised. “Your Ted, huh?”

You laughed, wiggling out of his grip. He let you, and you stood up, reaching for him. He stood with you, not letting go of your hands.

“You’re not going to let go of my hand to check a nonexistent message again, right?”

You smiled, looking down. “You caught that?”

“I can read you almost as well as you can read me. I knew something was up.”

You shook your head, walking into him and wrapping him in a hug again.

“I see things are a little better now,” Beard said, leaning against the doorframe of the office.

You let go of Ted, turning towards Beard.

“Hey. I’m sorry about—”

He held up a hand. “Don’t be. I was kind of being an ass anyways.”

You gave him a tight lipped smile, nodding a little.

“You two figure out… All that business?” He asked, pointing between the two of you.

Ted smiled, “Yeah, we did.”

“Good.”

He waved and left with that, the two of you alone once more.

Ted grabbed your hand, lacing his fingers with yours.

“Let’s go home and maybe… Clean up. We kind of look crazy,” he smiled.

“Can we head to mine first? I want to get out of this dress.”

“Why don’t we just go to mine?”

He raised his brows in question, and you couldn’t help but smile. Now at least you didn’t have to pretend you didn’t think he was adorable.

“I need clothes.”

He quirked a brow. “I think you’d look awfully cute in my clothes.”

You laughed, “Okay, fair enough.”

“Ready to go home, then, sweetpea?”

“Of course.”

#ted lasso fic #ted lasso fanfiction #ted lasso fanfic #ted lasso x reader #ted lasso x y/n #ted lasso fluff #ted lasso angst #ted lasso anxiety #ted lasso #the archer

[solitaszn]

curtains | ted lasso ✧˚ · .

Pairing: Ted Lasso x fem!reader

Summary: under the employment of one trent crimm at afc richmond, you are the second American hire and only female journalist at the club starting to make headlines following the head coach being the first.

Warnings: cursing

WC: 980

Author's note: This is really my first multi part fic so be gentle!

"Why does AFC Richmond keep hiring Americans when it is on the brink of relegation?"

Ted stares at the article in dismay and then looks at your desk from the window. He gets up and shuts down his laptop, making his way to your office. You hear his gentle knocking on the glass. your eyes brimmed with tears and your head in your hands as you reread the words "hiring Americans" and "relegation". 

"Uhm, come in, Ted!" you say, blinking away your tears.

"I saw the email, I’m awful sorry about that," he said.

"No it’s fine; you know how the journalists are here, especially at The Sun."

"Yeah. So hot-headed," he joked

You giggled; it wasn’t even that funny, and you still laughed so hard. It’s probably the first time Ted got you to genuinely laugh since you started becoming an assistant to Trent (now independent), who wanted to get an American’s eyes and edits on his writing for his book about Ted Lasso. Ever since you got to Richmond, you have been reserved and quiet in the office you and Trent shared, which he rarely used. only there to follow him when he had questions about certain American mannerisms that he did not want to ask Ted or Beard about, not wanting to spoil details about said book.

"I’m glad to see you laughing again." It’s nice to have you around; I hope you know that." He winked at you and walked back to his desk.

He caught a glimpse of you smiling and being giddy, with your face turning a shade of pink. Ted didn’t realize he had stopped doing his work and started staring at you until Roy stood in the doorway and made it obvious.

"Put your fucking tongue back in your mouth, or I’ll tell her to get a curtain for that office, you freak."

You said a muffled, "Roy?"

"What?" He’s the only person he tolerates in the locker room office. People often thought the two of you looked related until you spoke. Your dark hair and eyes, and the fact that you both often wore black. You wore it just to be professional, but he did because he couldn’t stand being in color.

"Do you think I’m bringing down the club for being American?"

Dumbfounded, he replied, "Who the fuck said that?"

"The Sun?"

"And why the fuck would you listen to those fucking pricks?" They don’t fucking work anywhere near as hard as you do."

It’s true that although you were technically an assistant journalist for Trent, you took it upon yourself to do other things around the club for the team. often on coffee runs, helping Will, answering emails for Trent, or really anything you could keep yourself busy with. It didn’t help with your personal life, though; you overfilled your day so much that when you get home, you’re too exhausted to do anything else.

"Thanks Roy."

He grunted and left.

You finally clocked out and headed to your car when you caught Ted on his phone next to it.

"Oh, hey, Ted, what are you still doing here?"

"Listen, I was wondering if you wanted to have a drink or something."

"Ted, I would love to, trust me, but I’m just exhausted, and I’m seriously considering just sleeping in my car."

"I mean, heck, I could drive you home if you don’t mind."

You threw him your keys. Unlocking it, he opened the door, still forgetting that it wasn’t his side. Him still leaving the door open for you to get in and jogging to the other side.

"I’d have to say this is the most normal car in this parking lot; there are too many fast Italian ones here," he says as he drives out of the lot.

You scoffed, "You couldn’t make me buy one, I need a Subaru."

"I immediately could tell you weren’t from around here with this janky thing."

"Janky? Were you expecting me to pull in with a huge Ford F-150, Ted?"

"I would’ve liked you to, would make me feel right at home."

"No way you had one!" I wouldn’t have pegged you for a truck guy."

"Yep, a huge navy blue one, had a Kansas State Shockers sticker on the corner of the back window. That’s how I could tell which one was mine.” You could tell he was so happy that he could talk about the American college experience with someone other than a Beard.

"How long did you coach at WSU?"

"Five years took us all the way to the national championship."

You yawned in between words, "That’s amazing, Ted."

"God, I hope I’m not boring you," he laughed.

"You’re so mean! and you missed the turn, just take this left, and we can get into the parking garage."

"Ooh, a parking garage, that’s mighty fancy” he chirped.

"It’s what happens when you don’t spend $400k on a car."

You both pulled into your spots. Once you were parked, you gathered your things. "Here we are, home sweet home," Ted said enthusiastically.

"Actually, Ted, sorry, do you mind if you walk me to my flat? It’s just that it’s late and dark, so I-"

"No, yeah, of course, no need to apologize,” he said, closing the car door that was followed by two beeps echoing off the cement walls.

"Thanks, and thank you so much for bringing me home; you really didn’t have to."

"It was my pleasure, darlin'," he winked.

Surely you hadn’t heard him right. Darlin’? Was he flirting with you? You walked to the door and swiped your security card to get into your building. You turned to hold the door for Ted; you hadn’t noticed how much he towered over you. His six-foot stature made you question how you also hadn’t noticed his shoulders and strong arms. Were his eyes always that warm brown?

chapter 2

#ted lasso #ted lasso x reader #i had been wanting to write about ted's time at WSU so this was so real of me #ted lasso fic #ted lasso fluff #ted lasso smut #ted lasso reader #solitaszn

[my-soupy-brain]

Ted Lasso Fan Prompts 2

I ran outta space again on the pinned one, so here's another group of Ted Lasso fan prompts I've answered. Sigh. Sorry about that, folks!

Snuggled Up - A blue day in the cold winter means a big ol' snuggle fest with Ted. Oh so comforting.

Licks & Kisses (NSFW) - Some body worship for Ted's tummy and a little lower. Smutty smut.

Tummy Trouble - You're self-conscious about your body around all the beautiful people Ted works with every day. But he reminds you why you're perfect the way you are. Mostly comfort.

Headache Schmedache - Your nasty headache has Ted playing doctor to comfort you and help you relax from the stresses of life. All comfort.

I Want to Take Care of You - Ted has a nasty panic attack at a match and you rescue him and bring him back to earth. All comfort.

Clingy - Ted loves to show his affection all the time, and you love to dish it back. Just some little drabbles of a clingy Ted. All cutesy.

Neck Massage - Ted gives you a much-needed neck massage and it turns you both all loosely goosey. Comfort + light teasing.

Foot Rubs & Advice - Ted has a rotten day and you decide to help him out and give him much-needed advice.

Dirty Talk (NSFW) - Ted explores some very dirty talk at your apartment, when he doesn't have to be as quiet. SMUT CITY.

Baby Bump - Your body is changing with the little Lasso coming but Ted's more enamored than ever. All fluff.

Favorite Parts (NSFW) - You and Ted start a long romance and he can't keep his eyes - or his hands - to one part of you. Smut + fluff!

Ring, Ring - Ted's got the ring and ready to propose but all the advice and all the nerves are firing. ALL FLUFF! See the link for the related story.

Summer Teddy (NSFW) - Ted comes home from a three-week visit in Kansas and he's all summered up. SMUT CITY.

Fear of the Friendzone - You have a big crush on Ted but you're sure it's not reciprocated. Roy has other news. All fluff + pining.

Camera Reel - You load some fun selfies into Ted's phone for kicks, and then see he's taken some photos of his own. FLUFFY AF.

Ted's Clothes (NSFW) - You wear Ted's clothes a couple of times and he really enjoys it. Fluf + light smut!

Body Paint (NSFW) - You set up a little body paint activity in the living room for you and Ted. It's edible. :) Light smut!

Already a Family - Ted comforts you through some pregnancy difficulties. All comfort!

Mine & Yours (NSFW) - You go with Ted to Kansas for a visit with Henry, and end up feeling uncertain about him and Michelle. Angst + smut!

Teddy Bear - You've got a very upset stomach but Ted is to the rescue to take care of you. All comfort.

Congratulations, Coach (NSFW) - A good win for Richmond and a quick congrats in Ted's office leads to...things. SMUT!

Mustache Tickles (NSFW) - You can't stop thinking about how good Ted's mustache feels and then he shows you. SMUT.

Don't Change a Thing - Ted's been working out and it has you worried, until you find out why. Mostly comfort + tiny light smut.

Nervous Motherhood - You and Ted talk about having a baby, but once you're expecting, the nerves set in. Comfort + fluff!

Ride (NSFW) - Ted's in his head about this football book he's reading so you decide to help him clear the muck. Body praise + SMUT!

Cat Nap - You fall asleep on Ted after a busy week, and he just lets you snooze away. Cute comfort + fluff!

Dinner for Darlin' - Your work is taking over your life, and you forget to eat. Ted's there to help. FLUFF!

Skinny Dippin' (NSFW) - Ted sneaks the two of you to a rooftop pool for some swim time. Fun + Smut!

Muscle Memory - Ted strains his muscles keeping up with the boys and you take care of him. Comfort + light teasing.

Cologne - You get one whiff of Ted's cologne and it doesn't leave your brain. Fluff + flirting + light smut.

Hide n' Seek (NSFW) - Ted and you play a little game of hide n' seek in the club after a night of late working. Fun, fluff + smut!

Anxious Shivers - You get overwhelmed with panic and Ted comforts you back to calm. All comfort.

Hidden Ink (NSFW) - After some heavy making out with Ted, he finds your tattoo, and you find his. Light smut.

Calming Comfort - Ted comforts your anxious brain before a big exam you're about to take. Mostly fluff!

Secret Phrase (NSFW) - You and Ted decide to tease a little at the gala with a secret phrase that gets Ted riled up. ALL SMUT!

Takin' it Slow (NSFW) - You and Ted are newly together, taking it slow while you adjust. But one night of movie cuddling... SMUT!

Sneak-in Slumber - You're feeling low and take a nap, but Ted comes in unexpectedly to join with a cuddle. All fluff!

None of That, Now (NSFW) - You keep trying to make yourself...smaller... in Ted's bed. And he's not having it. Fluff + comfort + light smut!

I've Got You - Ted comforts you in a moment of sadness, assuring you and giving you his attention. ALL COMFORT!

Expecting Affection - You're pregnant and Ted is so excited to touch your changing body and show you how he cares. Mostly fluff + teeny tiny NSFW.

Wrong Name - Ted slips up and calls you the wrong name, and it breaks both your hearts. Angst + making up comfort.

Giggle Butt - You get a little giggly when you're tired and it makes Ted Lasso fall harder in love with you. All fluff!

Tidy Spaces - You've been working longer hours and Ted takes care of the house. DOMESTIC FLUFF!

Comfy Clothes (light NSFW) - Ted comes to your door unexpectedly and you're kicking around in his clothes. He loves it. Fluff + a little smut.

Therapy Schmerapy - You can tell Ted needs mental health help but he's not buying it. ANGST! (and making up)

Cuddle Comforts - Ted finds you in need of some close cuddles after a bad day. All fluff!

Toy Teasin' Time (NSFW) - Ted finds a special something in your nightstand and he wants to play. SMUT AHEAD!

No Shave November (NSFW) - Ted decides to join the team in No Shave November and it WORKS for you. Light smut + lust ahead

Tummy Comfort - You get some cuddles from Ted to cure your tummy ache. All fluff.

Cheech and Chocolate Cake (NSFW) - You and Ted decide to shut in for the night with some pot to see where the night takes you.

Cramp Comfort - Ted comforts you while you deal with some nasty period cramps. All comfort!

Snapped (NSFW) - You and Ted are stressed out but he snaps a little too hard, and realizes he's gotta make it up to you. Angst + smut!

Cry It Out - Your little girl loves daddy's attention, but Ted can't let her cry it out. The cuteness is REAL my friends. All fluff.

Bed Pleasures (NSFW) - Ted drags you home to put his face where it belongs, and enjoys himself in the process. SMUT ALERT!

Baby Blue Nails - You and little Marie have a nail painting party and Ted wants in on the action. All fluff featuring Girl Dad Ted.

Christmas Pajamas - You and Ted exchange pajamas on Christmas Eve and this year's is a little fun. Fluff + teeny tiny smut.

Been Better - Ted to the rescue when you're sicker than a dog. All comfort. (Single story)

Halloween Cowboy (NSFW) - You and Ted do a couple's costume for Halloween. Fluff + smut ahead!

Looking After You - You've been working yourself ragged and not taking care of yourself. So Ted finds a way to help you. Fluff + comfort.

Neck Teaser (NSFW) - Ted figures out one of the sweetest spots on you and decides to make you lose your mind. Fluff + teasing + a little smut.

Massage Break (NSFW) - You're working hard, too hard. And Ted offers a massage that leads...somewhere. Fluff + smut!

Henry the Matchmaker - You and Ted have a solid friendship, but Henry takes to you immediately. And he's the one to figure out what should happen next. FLUFF!

Peak Male Form - Ted has second thoughts about himself in the mirror, and you assure him that he's solid, soft, and perfect for you. All comfort + fluff + a little lust at the end.

White Knight Defense (slightly NSFW) - An opposing team staffer gets a little too close to you and Ted swoops in. Angst + a little smut.

Ted's Scent (a little NSFW) - Ted changes soaps and you go a little feral for it. Fluff + light smut.

#ted lasso x reader #ted lasso fanfic #ted lasso fanfiction #ted lasso fluff #ted lasso x you #ted lasso smut

[sillygooseassociation]

Messy

Requests: Heyyyyy, could you write ted lasso x reader where reader likes ted, and she vents about it with rebecca or keeley and ted listens to it but thinks it’s for somebody else, not him? I’m so sorry for my English, and thank you very much! /// hiiii could you write ted x reader where reader gets jealous of ted with sassy (like reader has a crush on ted but never told anyone about it) and reader is younger than him and thinks that maybe nothing will happen between them?? the drama of it all lol, okay thank you byeee

Description: When you and Ted both eavesdrop on conversations of the other, miscommunication occurs that leads to tears, laughter, and confessions.

Warnings: lots of angst, idk, kinda mentions of divorce

Pairing: Ted Lasso x reader

Word Count: 4.3k

-

You drop the stack of files on the desk outside Rebecca’s office, pulling a highlighter out of your pocket, needing to mark one more line that you noticed was missed on the walk from your room. Biting the cap off, you hold the plastic in between your teeth as you trace the line on the paper, pausing to listen when you overhear voices from the office. “Now boss, you know I wouldn’t keep anything from you, it's just not in my nature. But a gentleman doesn’t kiss and tell, and that includes the person that signs my checks.”

Initially, you chuckle at Ted’s mannerisms - even after two years in England, he hadn’t lost that endearing midwest charm. However, your laughter falls flat when you realize the implications of his words, who did he kiss and how did Rebecca know to ask? You weren’t one to eavesdrop, you knew it was rude and you would never want to invade someone’s privacy, especially not the privacy of your two bosses. However, all logic seemed to go out the window when imagining the American gaffer kissing someone. 

“Oh Ted please, we’re both adults, we’ve both been married, we’ve both been through heartbreak, so please tell me, what do you think of Sassy?” Sassy? Why did you recognize that name? Well, if you could even consider that a name. You cap the highlighter, returning the writing utensil to your pocket before listening back in, “Why she’s just fine and dandy, nicer than the whole French city.” 

Discarding your previous plan of handing the files directly to Rebecca, you instead write her a message on a sticky note and place it on top of the stack, leaving said stack on the desk. As you leave, you hear one more pressing question from Rebecca, “Oh Ted, please speak plainly for once and tell me what you think.” As you head back to your office, you can’t help but wish you were on Ted’s mind as much as he is on yours.

As you sit at your desk, you can’t help but think about Ted and Rebecca’s conversation, how did Ted meet Sassy? And where in the world do you know this name from? It feels like Ted spends all his time devoted to the team, how could he even have the opportunity to meet someone? He eats every meal at Crown and Anchor with Beard, and oftentimes you, that doesn’t give him much of an opportunity to meet a woman at the pub. The rest of his life is spent at his flat or Nelson Road, at least that’s how he made it seem when you all talked about your lives outside of work.

The Liverpool match took up so much of his attention, and it paid off if the game was to be used as evidence. Liverpool! That’s why you know the name Sassy! She was Rebecca’s mate who you met briefly after the game, Keeley was practically attached to her hip. Of course, it had to be Sassy, you couldn’t even go talk to your best friend about how you were feeling, she was practically in love with your competition.

Not that Sassy could even consider you as competition, Ted hardly knew you existed, well, on a romantic level at least. Working as Richmond’s physical therapist, you often made decisions hand in hand with Ted. It was not something you had experienced before with coaches at the previous amateur teams you worked with, they just did what they wanted and left you to pick up the pieces of their sore players. Ted, on the other hand, wanted you right there as he created plays and decided which players should fill which roles, he wanted to make the decisions that were best for the team’s success but also best for the safety and health of his players.

You considered Ted a close friend and you liked to think he thought the same of you, but that’s all it would ever be in his eyes. You were about twenty years his junior, after all, he was far in his career and a wonderful dad, and he had been married before. You, on the other hand, were just starting off, Richmond was your first role as head therapist, many still saw you as a kid even in your mid-20s, and your longest relationship had only lasted a year before your ex decided you were “too much” for him. 

To the rest of the world, you were at two stages in your life, how could that ever even work? But in your mind, none of that truly mattered. Different stages in your career didn’t really mean anything, you loved kids and were getting to the point of wanting to start your own family. But at the end of the day, you were inexperienced, you had run off every partner you ever had because of how “needy” you were. You were young. Too young. So you would love Ted from afar, laughing at pop culture references that no one else but Beard understood, nodding in agreement at his motivational speeches to the boys, and admiring the way he put his entire self into everything that he did.

Noticing the time, you realize you would be running late for the pre-training meeting if you didn’t get a move on. You grab your copy of the playbook, checking the pockets of your athletic leggings for your signature highlighter and red pen. You head down the hallway to the locker room, passing through the gym when you hear low voices, looking over to notice the window shared with the coaches’ office was open. “Well, are you going to ask her out, Coach?” 

Your eyes widen, walking far enough into the room where you are hidden from the view through the window, deciding to again selfishly listen in, “That’s the thing Coach, I would love that. But I’m me and she’s… well, she’s her. I tell the boys to not be judgmental, but I can’t help but judge myself for having these feelings.” You sigh softly as you shake your head, you hated that Ted thought this way about himself. Any woman would be lucky to have Ted, even if that woman was Sassy and not you. “Ah fuckin’ ‘ell Lasso, you would tell any of those muppets in there to go for what they wanted, why shouldn’t you get to do the same thing?” 

You clear your throat quietly, pushing down tears as they well in your eyes, rounding the corner to make yourself known before you have to hear Ted talk about Sassy even more, “Hey team!” Three men in the room jump slightly, startled by your appearance while Roy remains still, not being surprised by anything apparently. Ted runs his hand through his hair, seeming to be frazzled, “Well what do you know, Ms. Sheryl Crow, how’re you Y/N?”

A laugh leaves your mouth though it is much quieter than your normal response to Ted’s humor, something you hope goes unnoticed by the rest of the room. “Oh, I’m okay, just life as normal.” Giving a tight-lipped and forced smile, you thank every god above as Nate asks a question, a stupid one at that, which switches the conversation off of you. Roy lets out a groan and disgruntled mutter about Nate, an offhanded comment that brings out a laugh, hoping your smile dispels any suspicions anyone had about you and your short response to the earlier question. And for the most part, it does, no one in the room is any the wiser about how you are truly feeling, no one, that is, but Ted, whose concerned eyes never leave you.

By the time training was done, you felt emotionally exhausted. After hours of canned laughter, forced smiles, and repressed tears, you just wanted to go home. But nope, it was then a couple of hours in the clinic working on the players. Thankfully with a more hands-on task, the time passed quicker than it did during training. Back in your office, you pack up your backpack before hearing a knock, looking up to find Keeley at the door with her signature smile. “Babes! You’re not answering your texts!” You turn on your phone as it sits on your desk, realizing you have numerous texts from her as well as other contacts, “Shit, sorry Keels, I’m just out of it today.”

Keeley’s smile falls, clearly able to tell that you are not your normal cheery self, “What’s up? Why are you so frowny?” You attempt to give her a smile but before she can even call you on your bullshit, your tears can no longer be held back. “Oh, babes!” She walks you over to the couch in your office, and sits you down, passing you a tissue from the box on your coffee table, “What is going on? Does Roy need to beat some prick up?” You laugh lightly as you wipe away your tears though your effort is for nothing, more tears just falling in their absence, “N-no, it's okay. I don’t want to bother you.”

Your friend looks at you with wide eyes, “Are you absolutely mental? Something that is bugging you like this is never going to be a bother.” You shrug slightly, looking at your lap in embarrassment, “I know I’m not your only friend though, and I don’t want to be an arse and talk shit about someone you like.” Keeley pulls you closer, rubbing your arm in a comforting manner, “You’re right, I do have other friends. But none like you, you’re my best mate. Now tell me what’s going on.” 

Taking a deep breath, you tell Keeley what you overheard earlier in the day, both from Rebecca’s office and the coaches’ office. She nods along as you speak, paying close attention until you let out a sigh after finishing your story, “Well, I haven’t talked to Rebecca today, so I don’t know what Ted said. But I do know that Sassy left to find Ted the other night in Liverpool and then came back like, ten minutes later.” You shake your head as you wipe away your last tears, “But that doesn’t mean anything Keeley. They still kissed. It's not like I had a chance with Ted anyway but now I really don’t, he has real feelings for her!” Admitting out loud what you had been ruing all day, you begin to cry again, sobbing softly at how stupid you felt. 

Approaching your office door, Ted ran through his script in his mind. He wanted to check on you but he also didn’t want to cross any boundaries. Sure, you were friends, really good friends he would say, but you also technically work for him and you’re a beautiful young woman. He would never want to make you uncomfortable. Which is why he came up with what to ask you, wanting to be careful to avoid stepping over the line. 

However, his script was immediately forgotten as he reached your ajar door, hearing your cries from behind. His brows furrowed, terrified that you were hurt, either physically or emotionally, and determined to help however he could. But before he could push the door open more, he heard someone quietly shushing you, someone he soon recognized to be Keeley. He paused, relieved to know that you weren’t alone while feeling this way. He weighed his decisions, popping his head in to offer his aid and support or leave you two ladies be. But before he could decide, he hears your soft voice from the other side of the door, “There’s no reason he would want to be with me, I know that. He’s absolutely perfect, he would never want an idiot kid like me when he could get someone like her. Even though I always knew that I just feel so broken now that it actually happened.”

Ted backed away from the door, slowly walking to Nelson Road’s exit and making his way home, sending a quick text to Beard to apologize for not being able to make it to beers that night. As he walked on the cobblestone path, he couldn’t help but feel his heart hurt, how could you think that way about yourself? You were one of the most amazing people Ted had ever met. You were incredibly intelligent and ridiculously gorgeous; you appreciated all of his humor and had compassion that rivaled that of the virgin Mary. Hell, all of this and more is why he fell for you. But of course, you had your eyes set on someone else. It only makes sense. You were still young, you had so much of your life ahead of you, and he was a tied-down old man with a kid. Let’s be honest, your job was literally to touch and massage some of the most athletic people in the world, why would you want to be with him?

Even though he was feeling a bit torn up at confirmation that his feelings were unrequited, he felt most sad about how you talked about yourself. No one deserved to feel unworthy of love, but you especially didn’t deserve that. You always made sure everyone in your life was supported and had all they needed, it was one of the first things he noticed about you. When he was putting together birthday celebrations for Sam during his first week, you were already making a grocery list of cake supplies before Ted even came to you with his idea. You had a calendar with all of the players’ birthdays sitting on your smaller desk, working as an assistant physical therapist at the time, and knew that Sam’s was coming up. On your small salary and in your unappreciated position, you wanted to make sure the birthday boy didn’t go unrecognized. If you could offer that love to everyone in your life, even those that annoyed you like Nate, you deserved to have someone show you that same love, if not an even greater love.

After a talk with Keeley that was full of hugs, tears, and dirty jokes (mostly from her), you made your way home, deciding to have a quiet night filled with ice cream and Nancy Meyers films. Keeley offered to join you though you quickly brushed her off, sending her to have a conversation with Roy after she told you about their kiss over the weekend that ended with him running off like a fucking twat. Pulling your fuzzy blanket over your crossed legs, you pulled the ice cream carton from its spot on your coffee table and into your lap, pressing play on The Holiday. You roll your eyes at Jude Law’s flirting, what bullshit. A man with an accent foreign to the woman, a man with a young child mind you, was gonna get the girl, and that girl was gonna get her happy ending. Fucking Hollywood lies.

Your internal screaming fit at the television was interrupted by a knock on the door. You groan, putting the frozen tub back on the coffee table, wrapping your blanket around you as you walk to the door in your pajamas, “Right as I got fucking comfortable.” You open the door, planning to rudely take your anger out on the person likely meaning to knock on your neighbor’s door, but instead, you find your favorite American standing there, hands in his pockets as he nervously makes eye contact with you, “Ted?” He takes a hand out, giving you a small wave, “W-what are you doing here?” He ponders your question before looking around, seeming to remember he’s still in the hallway of your flat building, “Can I come in?” 

Nodding, you open the door wider to allow him in, closing it behind him before you walk over to the living room, grabbing your ice cream container and then making the short walk to your kitchen to put it in the freezer. “I love the soundtrack for this one.” Walking back into the living room, you offer Ted a confused look before noticing him point to your film selection, “Oh yeah. It’s a great one, even if the plot is unrealistic bullshit.” Ted’s eyes widen as you cross the room to the couch, sit down and turn off the television. Sure, you cuss occasionally, but never in such an intense and negative tone. He apprehensively sits on the other side of the couch, turning to see you looking at him expectantly, “Why are you here, Ted?”

Ted clears his throat, his mind suddenly blank. He had practiced exactly what to say to you on the way over, how to gracefully tell you that he accidentally eavesdropped while also telling you that anyone would be lucky to have you but keeping his feelings a secret. He had figured it all out but the moment he saw you, he lost it all. He could only focus on you. “Oh, um well, I was worried about you. This morning, you weren’t exactly yourself and I wanted to check in.” 

You show a small smile at his compassion, of course, he noticed that something was wrong and of course, that meant he then took the time out of his evening to come and check on you. This man was practically perfect, and yet he wasn’t yours, “Yeah, I mean, it was just a rough morning. Got some bad news before training, that’s all. Ted, it's nice and all that you came over to check on me, but you really didn’t have to change your evening plans to do that.” Ted nods in response, looking down as he plays a bit with his fingers, he knows he didn’t have to, he wanted to though, “I know that. Truthfully, I stopped by your office earlier to check on you but you already had company.

Cocking your head to the side, you look at him confused, you had no clue what he was referring to. No one had been in your office that day, no one but you and, oh god, “Shit.” You stand up, beginning to pace around the room with anxiety. Of course, your luck worked out like this. You cried at work about being in love with your boss and he overheard, of course, because why wouldn’t that happen? He was there to fire you, to let you down easily both about your feelings and your job. “Shit, Ted, I’m sorry. I-I promise, this won’t get in the way of my job. I love Richmond and I love the team, please, I would never want to put that in jeopardy.”

Looking confused out of his mind, Ted stands up and steps in front of you, stopping your pacing, “Woah, Y/N, I’m not firing you. Honestly, I don’t even know if I have the power to do that, I like to leave all that stuff up to Mrs. Big Boss. But, even if I did, why would I fire you over being sad that someone you like turned you down? Now, I thought you would know me better than to think I would do something like that.” You look up with wide eyes, he didn’t know, he didn’t know the ‘someone’ was him. “Oh no, um, I know that Ted, sorry. I just, I thought it was something else.”

Thankfully he lets you off without further explanation, though he was still incredibly lost, what else could it have been that you would think would be worthy of him firing you? You return to your spot on the couch, expecting him to follow you except it was now his turn to anxiously pace. “Now, one time in middle school, we had a dance unit and were taught different kinds of dances like line dancing and square dancing. They also taught us disco and I was just absolutely horrible, could not get it down no matter how many times I watched Saturday Night Fever. I bring this up because I don’t want that again, I want to avoid bad vibes as much as I can.” You nod, holding in a laugh at his story, not wanting to interrupt whatever he was working up to say, “I overheard what you said to Ms. Keeley and I just want you to know, Y/N, it is not true at all.”

Your breath catches in your throat, what did he just say? “Now, I don’t know who this guy is but he must be darn stupid if he’s letting you get away. But ya know what, forget him. You don’t need him. You are just perfect on your own. You are not an idiot and you’re not a kid, which I’m pretty sure means you scientifically can’t be an idiot kid. I know I’m just an old man saying all this and it probably doesn’t matter but just…Hell, I’ve been out of the dating scene for a long time and I’m still not entirely in it, I’m as single as a batter running only to first base. None of this probably means anything to you, but I hope you believe me because you are one special woman, Y/N.”

You were speechless, Ted just said everything you ever wanted to hear and yet you could only focus on one part, “What about Sassy?” Having turned himself away from you in his nervous pacing during his monologue, Ted turns to face you with a wild expression on his face, “What’re you on about?” You look down at your hands, shrugging as you wonder if you can get yourself out of the situation, “Just, this morning, before training, I overheard you talking to Rebecca and she asked you about Sassy. You said you don’t kiss and tell…” You trail off, not wanting to finish your sentence one because you hadn’t stayed around long enough to hear Ted’s response beyond that, but also because you were worried about what that answer was. “Before training? Was this before or after you got your bad news?” 

Fuck, he was figuring it out.

Sighing, Ted walks over to the couch, sitting closer to you this time, your knees almost close enough to touch but still leaving a distance between the two of you, “Y/N, Sassy found me this weekend after the match and kissed me,” you nod sadly in response, looking away as you hope he can’t see the tears beginning to roll down your face, “but I pulled away so I could tell her I was interested in someone else.” Why was he telling you this? He’s not interested in Sassy, so what? Not like the specific person matters to you, it hurt just the same. Ted sighs again, sliding just close enough that your knees bump each other, “Honey, please look at me.”

You turn to meet Ted’s eyes, his expression falling when he sees the tears running down both cheeks. He raises a hand, gently brushing the tears away, “Why are you crying?” You shake your head which then shakes his hand off, bringing your palm up to wipe away your tears, “’s stupid.” Ted tuts at you, “It’s not stupid if it’s got you worked up like this.” 

Well, you’re already crying in front of Ted and are too embarrassed to ever show your face at work again, hopefully, Rebecca will accept an emailed letter of resignation and still be willing to be a reference, “It’s you.” Ted’s heart drops, he made you cry like this? Should he have not said any of those things? Did he say something wrong? He should have never come over, he just knew it, stupid Ted, always messing things up, “I-I made you cry?” You shake your head again, still not meeting his eyes, “No, well, kinda. Ted, it’s you, you’re the guy. I was talking to Keeley about you.” 

Ted lets out a chuckle, unable to keep it in. What the fuck, you basically just told this man, your boss that you’re in love with him and he has the audacity to laugh? Before you can ask what the hell is wrong with him, his voice interrupts his laughter, “Well, this is perfect.” You lift your eyes to meet his, seeing a bright smile across his face, how can he possibly be smiling right now? Seeing the confusion on your face, Ted places his hand on your knee, “You’re the ‘someone else’, Y/N. I told Sassy I’m not interested in her because I have feelings for you.” 

The world stopped. Well, it didn’t, it still moved on its axis while also moving around the sun but for you, the world stopped. The world stopped as your world sat in front of you, telling you that he felt the same. “What?” You were struck with disbelief, how could Ted feel the same? He was a successful coach and the best father in the world and you were merely a member of his team who can only barely rent a car legally. Ted nods, his smile seeming to grow even though you didn’t think that was possible from how wide it had been, “Yeah darling, it’s you.” 

Your smile matches his as you launch yourself at him, wrapping your arms around his neck as his wrap around your waist, it was perfect, it was natural. Though you wish you could spend the rest of the time like that, you pull away, your faces close enough that he rubs the tip of his nose against yours. “Are we really doing this?” Ted smiles softly at you, sensing your euphoric feeling of disbelief because he was experiencing it too, “I think we are.” 

You let out an excited squeal, pulling him in for a kiss. It was messy, far too much teeth from you both still smiling and your dried tears seemed to stick to his skin but it didn’t matter. It was messy but it was perfect, just like the two of you.

#ted lasso #ted lasso fanfiction #ted lasso fanfic #ted lasso fic #ted lasso fluff #ted lasso angst #ted lasso x reader #jason sudeikis #ted lasso x reader fluff #ted lasso imagine #ted lasso tv #keeley jones #rebecca welton #coach beard #roy kent

[security-chief-odo]

To Love and Be Loved in Return - Chapter 4

Chapter 1 & 2 & 3

Roy Kent x Reader

Description: Between you, Roy, and Keeley, who will spill the beans first?

Note: Hope you’re ready for fluff because oh boy is that all I felt like writing tonight.

Word Count: 2.3k

• • •

Chapter 4 - Drunk Words, Sober Thoughts

Roy’s knuckles go white as he grips the wheel, trying to find his composure along the journey. He knew he would obviously see you again and have to reckon with his feelings now that he couldn’t just throw a pity party for himself over a rejection he hadn’t even gotten. One that he may not even get.

That little spark of hope that has only just crept into his heart might be the thing that breaks him. It’s that hope that has him imagining what it would be like if you were his actual date to the gala. It’s that hope that has him picturing you in his arms after a hard day at work. It’s that hope that has him imagining your lips on his after the team wins a game. It’s that goddamned hope that has his palms sweaty and heart racing faster than he knew it could as he pulls up to the club.

He pulls up outside the bar and sees the three of you standing together. Keeley is the first to notice his car and corrals you all in his direction. The excited smile that crosses your face as you notice his arrival is enough to make his heart melt. He can’t let himself read into that though, you’d probably be just as excited for an Uber driver considering how fucking late it is.

Of course, he’s lying to himself though, because he does read into it just a little. He does get his hopes up that even a fraction of that excitement was specific to him.

Keeley and Rebecca guide you to the car, perhaps using your drunkenness to expedite their matchmaking as they guide you to the passenger seat. It’s only when you get buckled and they’ve already settled into the backseat that you realize what they’ve done. You couldn’t complain too much at getting to be close to the man you had so clearly fallen for, but Keeley was about to give you reason to complain.

She is sitting behind Roy, so you can see the smile on her face as she begins what could best be described as a transparent attempt to make Roy jealous. “So, y/n, who was that tall guy you gave your number to earlier?”

Bummed at hearing this and completely oblivious to the mischievous smirk adorning Keeley’s face, Roy feigns casual interest, “Oh?” he asks with a raised eyebrow.

You whip your head around to reply to Keeley, not wanting Roy to think you’re unavailable, “It’s not like that and you know it.”

This piques Roy’s interest and he begins to steer the conversation, “Then do you give your number out to just any strange man?”

“No, not my number,” you clarify, “Beard’s.”

“What?” he asks, now more confused than he was jealous.

“So one time I was at the Crown and Anchor with Beard and some creep just wouldn’t back off. Eventually I relented and gave him my number just to make him go away. Beard told me to start giving out his number instead of my own to creeps. He gets to enjoy scaring shitty men and I get to enjoy a peaceful night with my friends with no creepy texts in the morning. It’s a win-win situation”

“That’s fucking brilliant” Rebecca chimes in, “I’ve got to start doing that shit.”

“So you didn’t find a date tonight?” Roy asks, trying too hard to be nonchalant about it.

“Wasn’t looking.” you reply more to the window than to him as a faint blush crosses your features.

He pulls up to Rebecca’s house first, and when she gets out Keeley adjusts to the middle, using the opportunity to finally see Roy’s face, and try to figure out if he feels the same for you. It doesn’t take long for her to see the softness that he looks at you with, but it will certainly take longer for her to get him to admit it.

“Since I’m taking her shopping tomorrow, you should probably tell me what color you’re wearing.”

Knowing your friend too well, you brace yourself for this conversation. Her lack of subtlety only worsened when alcohol was in the mix. “Don’t worry about it Keeley. He’s not bringing me as an actual date anyways. We don’t have to match.”

Roy is kicking himself for being so obvious with his feelings. Keeley could read him like a book and this was her idea of either teasing or being helpful. He hasn’t quite figured out which. “I don’t know yet. I try not to think much about that stupid event. If it wasn’t for a good cause I wouldn’t even go to the fucking thing.”

“But Cheryl would miss you if you stopped going.” She has definitely settled on teasing then.

“Fuck Cheryl.” he rolls his eyes. He is not looking forward to another year with her as the highest bidder. She may not be as bad as he made Jamie think, but the idea of going on a date with anyone other than you makes him feel sick.

“You would if she got her way.” you chime in.

At your teasing Roy can feel that heat in his face, “She won’t. I’m not interested in her.”

“But you are interested in someone?” she adds barely letting him finish his own sentence.

He growls, “I didn’t say that.”

“But you still aren’t denying it.” Keeley says with a smirk evident in her sing-songy voice. Though she is clearly taking this as confirmation he likes you, you sink into your seat hoping it swallows you whole. Him liking somebody doesn’t mean he likes you. Then she asks the question you’ve both been dreading, “So who is she?”

“She’s none of your business.” Roy lets out a huff. If he wasn’t certain Keeley knew he liked you before, he definitely knows now.

“Come on!” Keeley whines, knowing she won’t get her way but enjoying watching him squirm all the same. “Tell me who’s captured the attention of the Roy Kent.”

He has taken to ignoring her prodding in hopes that she’ll get bored or at least give it up for the minute or two left in the drive to her flat.

His hopes are quickly shattered by her adding “Is it someone we know?”

Now that’s a question he can’t answer. If he does, he’ll give everything away, and if he can’t have you, he’d at least like to not lose you.

Lucky for Roy though, you seem to have gotten tired of this subject too. “Knock it off Keeley.” you roll your eyes at her, trying your best to play at being casual.

The car ride continues in relative silence until you arrive at Keeley’s. She gets out and cheerfully yells bye at both of you. Winking at you both, though each of you assume it is directed at only yourselves.

Once the car is finally moving again, you let out a breath you didn’t realize you had been holding in. Even in your inebriated state, you can still feel the full force of the embarrassment Keeley brought on in her attempt to play wingman. You sigh, “Sorry about her. All of that really. It was pretty invasive.”

He smiles ever so slightly and glances at you before looking back at the road and replying, “No worries. Not your fault. I know she’s just drunk. She’s always a little nosy, but never more so than when she’s drunk.”

You both chuckle at how true that was. You can’t help recalling all of the strangers Keeley has practically interrogated on past nights out. “Yeah, she gets that way, but it is kind of my fault. She was just trying to help me out and she overstepped.”

You don’t quite register how revealing your words are until he parks just outside your flat. “What do you mean?” Roy has turned entirely to face you.

In this moment, you have half a mind to run out of the car and straight into your flat and bury yourself in pillows hoping sleep will make you forget this night ever happened. Though it must be true what they say about alcohol being liquid courage because you don’t move towards the door, but instead you turn to face Roy.

“Fuck it.” you let out a sharp breath and begin. “It’s stupid and kinda embarrassing, but I have feelings for you. She found out today and has been pestering me about it all night. I’m sorry, I didn’t think she’d bother you with it or –”

He cuts you off with a groan of “Fuck” but you continue, reading his reaction as confirmation of your every fear.

“That I’d be telling you for that matter. I didn’t really want you to find out, certainly not like this. Don’t worry about it though, I’ll text Rebecca and have her move me to work under a different department if it makes you uncomfortable.”

“Wait” he cuts in again.

“I can even look for a new job. I like it at Richmond but I know this probably ruins our friendship and I don’t want to make things weird for you at work too. It’s really no big deal.”

Finally frustrated with your flat refusal to listen to him he yells your name. This gets your attention and for the first time since you started rambling, you make eye contact with him. “Stop talking for a second, y/n”

“Ok” you reply. You immediately failing at the request makes him roll his eyes at you.

“Please don’t quit. I have been freaking out all week because I’ve been head over heels for you for months now and I was finally trying to ask you out.”

“What?” you look at him in sheer confusion. Just minutes ago the man groaned in frustration at your confession. You never would have guessed it was because he returned your feelings.

“I asked you to be my date to the gala.”

“But then you told me it wasn’t a date”

Stumbling over himself he continues “Well – I – You’re the one who replied to me asking you on a date by telling me I’m the best boss. That one’s kind of your fault too.” He drops the defensiveness and continues on. “Then I asked you to lunch today, but you had plans already. Fuck. You don’t make it easy to ask you out.”

“I can tell because you still haven’t actually done it.” you tease.

He grumbles in response. “You’re right. Y/n, I am madly in love with you. Would you please do me the honor of being my girlfriend?”

“Hm. Let me think about it.”

“Don’t you fucking dare start that shit,” he scowls and points at you accusatorily. Although he won’t say it right now because the last thing he needs is more smugness from you, that playful smile has his stomach doing flips. It is probably his favorite expression of yours. You look so unburdened when you’re having fun like this, even if it is at his expense.

“Absolutely. I’d love nothing more than to be your girlfriend Roy.”

Over the moon at your response, he finally realizes the late hour. “Let me walk you up to your flat. Wait there.”

He turns off the car and walks around to your side. He opens the door for you and steadies you as you step down. When you get up to your flat you’re barely not stumbling. Between the exhaustion, the heels, and the alcohol in your system, it feels like a miracle when you reach your door. You hand Roy the keys and he gets the door for you, his left hand still on your back to guide you. He walks you to your bedroom, finds you pajamas to change into, and closes the door as he leaves the room to give you privacy.

You call out from the other side, “Scared you’ll like what you see too much?”

“Shut up and get dressed,” he responds, his tone clearly light. He moves to the kitchen to grab you a glass of water and some ibuprofen, both of which you will definitely need come morning. He knocks gently on the bedroom door, “You decent?”

“Sadly, yes.” you reply. He opens the door and seeing your sleepy eyes light up leaves him in awe of you.

He swiftly crosses the room to place the pills on your bedside and the water on a coaster next to it. He pulls back the blanket on your bed and gestures to the space below it. “Come on, y/n. You need some rest.”

You settle into your bed and look up at him. “Can I get a goodnight kiss from my boyfriend?”

“Not tonight.” he replies as he tucks you in.

You pout at this response and ask, “Please?”

“Nope”

“Why not?” you whine.

“You’re drunk”

“And? It’s just a kiss. Why should that matter?”

He leans in and you think he’s going to give you your way, but he stops just shy of your lips and whispers gruffly, “When I kiss you for the first time, I want to be sure it’s fucking memorable.”

With that he pulls away and you're a little more turned on than you’d like to admit. The anticipation for something as simple as a kiss, has turned you into a sleepy pile of mush. Okay, maybe it was the alcohol that did most of that, but It sure didn’t help.

He turns to leave and you call out, “Roy?”

He turns to you and cocks his head slightly in confusion.

“Can you stay the night?”

“Of course. I’ll be on the couch. If you need me, don’t hesitate to wake me up. Goodnight y/n”

“Goodnight.” you doze off into a far more pleasant sleep than you expected.

• • •

Taglist: @infinetlyforgotten @taytaylala12 @siriuslyreads @ashy-kit @isla-finke-blog @laukora1030 @tamberjo @queen-of-the-downtown-scene @harry-bowie-mercury

#reader insert #roy kent x reader #roy kent/reader #roy kent #roy Kent Ted lasso #ted lasso fanfic #Ted lasso #brett goldstein #idiots in love #love confessions #fluff #ted lasso fic #ted lasso fluff #roy kent fluff #Roy Kent’s foul mouth #to love and be loved in return #keeley jones #rebecca welton

[oh-surprise-its-me]

Could you imagine Phoebe taking her uncles The Coach Roy and legendary Jamie Tartt to her like “bring parents to school day” (does the uk do that?) it would be so chaotic.

Roy keeps having to do small talk with the other parents he’s so uncomfortable and the teachers are asking so many questions.

Jamie is roped into a game of soccer with all of the children and it eventually turns into a ~everyone against Jamie~ and he loses horribly and Roy is just planning on how to make this a lesson

The moms won’t leave Jamie alone after he stops playing and they keep touching his shoulders and his arms and keep flirting so hard.

The day ends with Jamie putting Phoebe on his shoulders and the three of them getting ice cream.

If you like romantic Roy x Jamie like I do then picture Roy getting jealous of the parents and going over to them and putting a hand on Jamie’s back and him going red and sliding a hand into Roy’s back pocket.

#ted lasso #jamie tartt #roy kent #jamie x roy #roy x jamie #phoebe kent #ted lasso fluff #headcanon #royjamie #write a fic if you wanna!! #fluff #jamie tartt x roy kent #phoebe!

[axelsagewrites]

Jamie Tartt*Bus Ride

Pairing: Jamie x f!reader

Word count: 1352

Warnings: fingering, semi public, teasing, smut 18+

Masterlist here

You had been in Amsterdam with the boys partly as the teams Physio encase the Dutch played dirty but also as Jamies new girlfriend. well, it wasn’t too new just not very known about. you had been dating each other for about three months now and you had decided to keep it under wraps to avoid any drama or stress but also because it felt nice to have a secret.

Roy knew because he liked to randomly show up at 4 am and pound on Jamies door till he answered and one time it was you who opened the door half naked and already yelling at him before your eyes went wide as a deer in the head lights. Luckily, Roy was not exactly much of a talker. Besides everyone was used to a Physio being around players so often and you had been friends for years prior so no one guessed at thing.

You were on the bus back to the airport however everyone on the bus was either exhausted, hung over, or a combination of both. you and Jamie were sat together near the back of the bus surrounded by a bunch of snoring footballers. the only ones not knackered were you, Jamie, and Roy since instead of drinking, partying, or sleeping in random men’s boats you had all spent the evening teaching Roy how to hide a bike and listening to tour guide barbie aka Jamie talk about light houses.

Roy however was at the front of the bus meaning everyone around you was asleep and couldn’t see the way you snuggled into Jamies side or how his hand rested on your lap. Still Jamie had brought a blanket encase you were tired so now you were sat snuggled up, blanket covering you both.

You were so caught up in your own thoughts you didn’t notice Jamies hand creeping from your outer to inner thigh till you felt his finger trail slowly over your panties. your eyes went wide, your head snapping towards him to see a shit eating grin on his face as his eyes stayed forward. you went to speak but Jamie’s whisper cut you off, “Quiet sweetheart. Grampas trying to read down there. He hates being interrupted,”

You wanted to protest, to tell him this was wrong but when his fingers trailed up, slowly rubbing your clit over your panties you could feel yourself getting turned on. Jamie leaned down, his lips brushing your ear as he spoke, “Already so wet princess,” he whispered so quietly that only you could hear but the words made you shiver, “How very naughty of you,” you could hear the smirk in his voice but couldn’t bring yourself to turn to face him.

Your eyes glanced to the seat across from you where Sam and Danni slept, both with headphones in. If anyone was awake you could see the headsets on them from here. but no one was looking back. no one could see how your hand grabbed Jamies arm under the blanket. that strong arm. fuck this was hot, you couldn’t deny it and Jamie knew it when you didn’t even try pull his arm away.

his fingers slowly rubbed circles onto your clit, only making you wetter and making it harder not to whine for more. your eyes darted to your watch. you’d be at the airport in 20 minutes. people would be waking up soon. but then you felt Jamie’s fingers slowly move to slip beneath your panties, going excruciatingly slow.

you didn’t have to look at him to see his smirk but when you did god was it hot. your breathing caught when you felt his fingers slowly tease the entrance of your hole. usually this was the point you begged and whined, and Jamie pondered out loud if you deserved him to fuck you with his fingers but not now. now all you could do was buck your hips making Jamie chuckle quietly.

“Patient baby,” Jamie whispered in your ear, his hot breath sending chills down your spine, “Can’t go waking em up now, can we?” he said, his fingers slowly slipping in.

your head moved to lean onto his shoulder, twisting to hide your face as you bite your lip. if anyone was to look back you knew they couldn’t see under the blanket, but you didn’t need them to see your ‘please just fuck me already’ face.

you could tell Jamie was enjoying this and before you could think of how to get him back his fingers began to push in, stretching you out perfectly. the other issue was that the whole time you were in Amsterdam you hadn’t been able to do anything. any time you headed to his room one of the guys would see you and you had to make up an excuse so eventually you had given up.

all this meant that when Jamie began to curl his fingers with expert precision you almost chewed through your lip trying to stay quiet. this was a new position though, so Jamie took his time, slowly working his fingers till he grazed that familiar spot. you sucked in a deep breath when you felt his fingertip brush it making Jamie chuckle and you clench his free wrist under the blanket.

Jamie leant over, kissing the top of your head as you leaned into his shoulder. you could feel your orgasm approaching but you’d never had to hide it like this, and you weren’t sure you could, but you also didn’t want to make him stop. not when you were so close and had been waiting for this for days.

when you felt your body tighten, your legs clenching around Jamie’s hand, you tightened your grip on his wrist till you worried it would snap. when your orgasm hit you felt like you couldn’t breathe as your body twitch around his fingers much to your protest. the faintest whine left your lips as your rode it out, Jamie groaning lightly when he heard it.

as you came down from your high, wondering how the hell you were supposed to get him back, Jamie removed his hand and moved so you could properly crash into his shoulder to recover. with your hand falling and free his wrist he moved to pull the blanket further up your body as your eyes fluttered shut.

a few moments past when you heard a quiet psst from somewhere nearby. you were too terrified to open your eyes, afraid you had been caught, but you felt Jamie turn his head. “Look at you too,” you heard Dannis quiet whisper from the seat across the aisle. “This is too cute my friend. you have to ask her out already,”

You could feel the way Jamie chuckled, vibrations running through his chest, “Maybe mate. Been thinking about it ya know,” he said as you tried not to laugh or smile.

“For what its worth I agree with Danni,” Sam piped, doing his best not to wake you despite you internally grinning like an idiot. “Yous too are perfect for each other,”

“Nah man she’s outta my league,” Jamie said making you roll your eyes behind your eyelids at this cocky little shit who you knew was grinning like an idiot on the outside.

“True that bruv,” Issac said, not even trying to keep his voice down almost making you laugh and blow your cover, “She’s well too good for you,”

“Tell me about it,” Jamie joked, and you waited a couple moments before pretending to stir as Jamie shushed the boys around.

you yawned, trying your best to make it realistic, “Morning boys,” you said as Danni, Sam, and Issac all turned pretending to have never been saying a word. man, it was getting hard not to laugh. you turned to jamie, whispering lowly, “I’m gonna kill you for that,” you smiled, trying to look innocent as Jamie laughed. Jamies laugh soon died when he pulled out his phone and saw a text from Roy.

“I am going to fucking murder you both and fling your bodies in the canal,”

#ted lasso #ted lasso imagine #ted lasso x reader #ted lasso fluff #jamie tartt #jamie tartt x reader #jamie tart x reader #jamie tartt imagine #jamie tartt fanfiction #jamie tartt x you #jamie tartt x y/n #roy kent imagine #jamie tartt smut

[onceuponaoneshotfanfic]

Hey, I was wondering if you'd do a Roy Kent x reader series (maybe) where she asks him to pretend they're boyfriend/girlfriend because her ex-boyfriend is marrying her somewhat younger sister. Kinda like The Wedding Date (if you've seen it). Ends up happily ever after?

Ahh, I was going to originally try to do this in one go, but decided to do this in a few small parts so I can get some fluff breaks while working on my longer fic. Here's part one!

Playing Pretend (Part 1)

Roy Kent x Reader

1.9k words

Warnings: Language, references to possible cheating, mutual pining, major rom-com vibes

Summary: The reader has a huge favor to ask Roy Kent- a guy who can never say no to her.

Series Masterlist

“What the fuck d’you want me to do?”

“Be my boyfriend,” you explained slowly. “At the wedding.”

Roy wrinkled his nose. “There’s really no one else you can ask?”

You let out a giant sigh and tapped the side of your beer bottle. “I mean, sure, maybe. But you’re Roy fucking Kent. You’d be kind of perfect.”

His eyes bore into yours. Roy Kent had known you quite literally your whole life; he could still remember when his very pregnant mother took him to the hospital to meet you, his sister’s future best friend. Your families were ridiculously close. Up until you were about sixteen, he thought of you as an annoying little bonus sister; then, one Christmas, he came home and suddenly felt decidedly un-brotherly towards you. The way you smiled at him, the way you wore that pink dress, the way you kissed his cheek before you left at the end of the party, all of it made something snap in his brain. For years after that, the very sight of you burned his chest. But there was no way he could tell you; his little sister’s best friend? Cliché.

But those cliché feelings meant he couldn’t say no to you. Not when you’d called him late at night needing to escape from skeevy dates. Not when you’d begged him for an autograph from Jamie Tartt. Not when you’d demanded to know where he got the kebabs he brought to his sister’s parties. And definitely not now, when your heart was in a million pieces as you watched your baby sister get ready to marry your ex-boyfriend.

The idea was insane, you freely admitted that. But the situation you found yourself was equally insane, if you were being honest.

You had dated Jim for years. And Roy fucking hated him. The guy was everything Roy wasn’t: friendly, outgoing, affable, posh, clever. And you loved him. Your parents loved him. Everyone loved him.

When Jim ended things out of the blue three years ago, everyone was shocked. He hadn’t proposed, per se, but it was expected. Things were implied. You’d started looking at rings and thinking about venues. So, when he suddenly broke up with you, you were devastated. You’d spent more than a few nights curled up on the couch at Roy’s sister’s house, with Roy taking Phoebe out of the house so you could mourn with your best friend in peace.

Just when you thought you were pretty much over things, your baby sister Lauren came home with big news. And a ring on her finger. And Jim.

You’d quietly excused yourself from the party she’d chosen to announce her engagement at, walked into a bathroom and vomited, and called Roy. He’d picked you up and drove you to his sister’s, where he watched you drink whiskey straight from a bottle and cry in his sister’s arms.

Now you sat next to him at a bar, where you’d asked him to meet you so you could ask him a huge favor. He’d expected tickets to a match, or help moving to a new flat, or asking him to donate a fucking kidney, literally anything but this. A weekend at some posh estate where your whole family would be celebrating your sister and fucking Jim, watching your heart break all over again sounded like absolute shit to Roy.

But you looked at him with those stupid pleading eyes. “Please, Roy,” you begged. “You’re the only guy I trust enough for this. You’ll protect me. You always protect me.”

There it was. It wasn’t just having the big football star on your arm to show off to everyone; it was having someone you felt safe with. Someone who wouldn’t mock you. Someone who understood. And Roy was always determined to be that person.

“Fine. I’ll fucking do it.”

His cheek burned like fire where you kissed him in gratitude. “Thanks a million Roy! This is why you’re my favorite fella.

Favorite fella. You’d called him that for years. Your mother was the first person to say it after seeing the way you toddled after him all the time once you’d learned to walk. Through the boyfriends you had, through the models he dated, you assured him time and time again that he’d always be your favorite fella.

Roy ignored the warmth in his chest and sipped his beer. “Doesn’t it feel a bit like you’re stealing your sister’s thunder? Bringing a professional footballer as your date?” he mused, anxious to move the conversation along and distract himself from how fucking pretty you looked.

The shrug you gave held a coldness he didn’t know someone as kind as you could muster. “Well, she did steal my boyfriend.”

The smirk that Roy gave made your heart flutter, reminding you of all the pining you’d done for him over the years. “Fair enough.” He looked thoughtful. “You don’t have to answer but… did he… and she…?” He nodded emphatically, not sure how to finish that sentence.

Another shrug. “Who fucking knows? I don’t need to know. They didn’t have the decency to tell me they’d started shagging, that’s all I need to know.”

Roy’s heart was sad to see the hurt in your eyes. He quickly changed his tone. “Can’t believe my sister isn’t invited. Figured you’d wrangle her into keeping you company all weekend.”

You snorted, one of Roy’s favorite sounds. “Oh, she was,” you corrected him. “She’s protesting because she hates Jim and my sister.” You raised your bottle to Roy appreciatively. “Yet another reason to invite you- I need at least one Kent there. And Phoebe couldn’t do shots with me or carry me back to our room when I’m sloshed.”

That was a job Roy wouldn’t mind doing. “Bit surprised I didn’t get an invite. Only known Lauren since she was fucking born.”

“Oh, there was no way you were getting invited. Jim hates you.” Your tone was so matter of fact it took Roy off guard.

“Excuse me?” Roy’d had no idea the disdain was mutual.

You nodded, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “Yeah, when we were dating, he did not like me hanging out with a dishy footballer. Hates your guts.” Your face lit up playfully. “Yet another reason you’re the perfect wedding date.”

Another smirk crossed his bearded face. “Dishy? Is that his word or yours?”

With a laugh, you shoved him, slipping into that familiar old comfort, the one that made you forget he was Roy Kent. “Don’t go getting a big head, otherwise you won’t fit in the car.”

~

Two weeks later, Roy felt his grip on the steering wheel tighten as he pulled into the drive of the estate the two of you would be spending the weekend at. Of course Jim’s family had gone all out for the wedding. Wanker.

Your leg shook almost violently as your eyes darted around. Instinctively, Roy reached out and took your hand, giving it a squeeze.

“Three days,” he reminded you. “That’s all we’ve gotta get through. Rehearsal dinner tomorrow, wedding Saturday, stupid brunch on Sunday.”

Looking down at your intertwined fingers, you nodded. “Maybe we can skip brunch?” you joked.

Deciding he should start playing the doting boyfriend now, he lifted your hand to his lips and pressed a soft kiss to the back of your hand. “We can abso-fucking-lutely skip brunch.”

And you knew he meant it. Roy always meant it. It was one of the million things that made him your absolute life-long unattainable crush that you thrust into the back of your mind. You always felt like a dumb little kid around him, as if you never quite outgrew the childhood you’d shared, but part of you hoped this weekend together would maybe help him see you in a different light. Besides, Roy’s sister was right when she suggested that Roy would really get under Jim’s skin.

As if summoned, Jim came bounding out of the house, waving at the familiar sight of your car. You felt your breath catch as you gazed at him. Jim. Your Jim. At least, what used to be your Jim.

You got out of the car and waved back. “Hey there!” you called, as if you hadn’t spent the last nine months avoiding him at every family gathering he and Lauren attended.

His smile faded when Roy got out of the car, wearing that signature scowl of his. “Roy!” Jim shouted, quickly recovering. “Didn’t know you were coming.” Now in front of you, he leaned closer. “Thought you were bringing that mystery boyfriend of yours,” he whispered, ignoring the fact that Roy could hear him.

Alright. Here we go. Time to sell it.

“I did,” you chirped brightly. You waved Roy over and wrapped an arm around his waist, while he placed a hand on your shoulder. “Surprise!”

For all the years you’d spent with Jim, you’d never seen him so red in the face. “Oh! Wow! That’s great!”

Roy smiled, a smug grin that felt so fucking good on his face. “It is great, isn’t it? Me and this one, finally getting together.”

Jim cleared his throat, squirming like a worm. “Right. Well, when did this-”

“Sister!”

Lauren came sprinting out of the house, squealing as if you were her favorite person in the world. She wrapped you in a hug and planted multiple kisses on your cheek. When she pulled back, she finally noticed Roy.

“Oh. Roy. What’re you doing here?”

“Nice to see you too, Lauren,” he muttered through his teeth.

Your sister turned to you. “What happened to mystery boyfriend? I was so looking forward to meeting him,” she pouted.

You laid a hand on Roy’s stomach, pulling him close, pretending as if you did this all the time and not just in your dreams. “Well, I’m not sure introductions are necessary, considering you’ve known him forever,” you joked, hoping your tone was light.

Lauren looked as if she was doing a difficult maths problem. “I’m sorry, Roy? Your mystery boyfriend is Roy? As in, known him our whole lives, football phenomenon, used to chase you around the backyard with spiders Roy? That Roy?” Her eyes darted to Jim, who looked just as confused. “Are you joking?”

“Absolutely not,” you lied. “You said I could bring a date. I told you I’d bring my boyfriend.” You nodded towards Roy. “There he is. Is there problem or can we grab our things?”

That superior smile your youngest sister often wore appeared. “Oh, you don’t have to do that.” She judged Jim. “Love, could you send someone to grab their things?”

Roy rolled his eyes with one of his familiar groans. “Just tell me where the fucking room is. I can carry my own shit.” After a quick look from you, he cleared his throat. “Sorry, just a bit tired from the drive. And, if we’re being candid, kind of want to get this one alone for a bit before dinner, you know?” A kiss landed on the top of your head, painting your face a deep red.

The bride and groom both gawked at you, as if waiting for one of you to shout that you were kidding, that you were pathetically alone and that Roy was leaving. When neither of you did, Lauren cleared her throat. “Right. Um, when you go inside the housekeeper can show you where to go.” She turned to Jim. “We should go, er, check on that thing, right darling?”

Jim nodded, his eyes on you. “Right, right.” He offered a small wave. “We’ll see you later then.”

As soon as they were out of sight, Roy looked down at you, eyebrow quirked. “Well. This’ll be a fun weekend, hmm?”

#request ❤️ #roy kent playing pretend #he's here he's there he's every fucking where #roy kent #roy kent x reader #roy kent fic #roy kent fanfiction #roy kent fluff #roy kent fanfic #ted lasso #ted lasso fanfic #ted lasso fic #ted lasso fluff

[believesthings]

Give & Gain // Ted Lasso x Reader

Summary: You are overwhelmed with work and feeling unsure about your direction in life. Your boyfriend, Ted, does what he does best and offers comfort and cuddles.

“Ted! Do you need help?”

“Hey there sugar - no n-no I’m fine. I got it. I got it all.” He words are reassuring but the slightly labored breathing underneath makes you not so sure. Here is your sweet man, with bags of groceries up and down his arms. He went shopping while you were home, burying yourself in an incredibly frustrating work project.

You got up to clear a spot on the table so that at the very least, he’ll have an easy landing spot for all of the food he bought.

“Are we stocking up for the apocalypse?” You question while beginning to put any perishable items away.

He chuckles lowly at you. “No. No. I just, well, Henry will probably be coming to visit soon and Roy had mentioned that Phoebe wanted to have a play date with him and I just figured I would cover all the bases. Of course, when I was actually shopping it really didn’t seem like all that much but once I got back and tried to get everything in one trip, I realized how much stuff it really was. I almost pulled my arm out of the socket trying to balance that milk jug.”

He begins to help you put the last of everything away, it’s been a long day - hell a long week, for the both of you and he’s looking forward to finally resting with you at the end of it all.

“Is there anything else out there?” You question.

“Nope. Managed to get it all. Even closed the trunk - sorry the boot too.”

You give him a pointed stare. “You know, we are home alone, Teddy. You don’t need to correct yourself here. It’s not like a constable is going to come banging down the door and putting you in cuffs just because you said the word trunk.”

“Heck, I know darlin’. I just like to make the effort, you know? When in rome, right?”

With everything successfully put away, he grabs your hand and pulls you close, bringing you in to kiss you. Pulling away, he says, “I’ve been wanting to do that ever since I walked though the door.”

He walks you over to the couch and the two of you settle in. He considers himself to be pretty well versed when it comes to you and he can definitely sense the tension resting in your shoulders.

“Hey, you ok?” He asks glancing down at you.

“Yeah. Why do you ask?” You say without glancing back.

“You just seem like you’re feeling off.” He raises his hand to rub your shoulders, feeling the tightness beneath his fingertips.

“Yeah. I’m good. I’m great.” You answer, a little too quickly for his liking. You definitely aren’t good, he decides.

“Look, whatever it is, we don’t have to get into it right now. But I know something’s up, honey.”

You stay silent for fear that the dam would break and tears would come welling up to the surface if you tried to speak.

Ted leans into your ear and whispers, “I’m here, okay?”

And that, as it turns out, is all it takes. You can feel your lip quivering and the hot tears pricking the corners of your eyes. You hang your head down and feel yourself start to crumble, while Ted pulls you closer.

“Hey, Darling. What’s going on?”

You snuggle closer into his side, finally looking up at him. “It’s just work, I guess. I have so many tasks to do and I feel like I can never get ahead of any of it. It doesn’t help that I don’t always seem to have the best support system in my job either. I’m actually kinda jealous of you, Teddy.”

He looks at you in surprise. “What are you on about?”

“You’ve got such a good dynamic going on with the team. You’re so great at what you do. All that positive reinforcement? I kinda wish I had that sometimes from my work too. It’s hard to stay positive when you don’t actually have someone giving you that positive feedback and sometimes I just kind of wonder what the point of it all even is. Is this really what I want to be doing? Am I even good at it?” I don’t even know if I know what my future is going to look like anymore.” You pause for a beat, “is that ridiculous?”

He shakes his head at you. “Not at all. I think that’s normal. It’s normal not to know what you what out of your future. Sometimes you think you want something but it doesn’t mean it’s gonna feel right once you’re in it and that’s okay. Now all of this talk about you not being good enough, I’m gonna stop that right now. You might be the smartest person I know. I hate that you’re doubting yourself, honey.”

He wraps his arm around your shoulder and drops a kiss to your forehead. “None of this means that you wasted your time and it doesn’t mean that you failed. It just means that you’re learning more about yourself and now you can take that and use to make whatever kind of space you need for yourself. Sometimes the path you take doesn’t always feel right once you’re actually on it. Doesn’t mean you’ve let anyone down. Not yourself. And especially not me.”

He strokes your cheek before continuing. “It’s okay to be unsure, you know. Especially when it comes down to something like your future. But you don’t need to decide right now. Now look, sweetheart. I can’t tell you what the right choice is but what I can tell you is that I’m here. You’ve got me. In whatever way you need. If you need someone to listen, you’ve got my ear. If you want problem solving, my brain is all yours. If you want a distraction and break from being all up in your head, Heck Darlin’ that’s my specialty and I’ll be happy to comfort ya all night.”

You let out a laugh, the tears finally seeming to subside.

“The only thing I want - the only thing anyone who’s worth a damn in your life wants is for you to be happy. But you don’t need to know what the path looks like right now. But one thing I do know for sure is when you figure it out, I’ll be here. Think of me as your own personal cheerleader. Or a shoulder to lean on if you need it. And even if you choose a different path and you decide that’s not right for you either, it doesn’t matter. I’ll cheer you on down every path in this world. Even the ones with a lot of sharp turns. You know you got me in your corner, right?”

You nod at him. “Yeah I do, Teddy.”

He nudges you to sit up as he repositions himself behind you, digging his fingers into your neck and rubbing out the knots underneath. “You know you are one of the kindest people I know. Of course, you can still have a little bite too when you need to. But you care. Deeply. It’s one of the reasons I think I fell in love with ya in the first place. Will you please save some of that kindness for yourself?”

You whip your head around at him and he holds his hand up in mock surrender. “Now I know, darlin’ I’m not great at doing that myself either. Maybe that’s something we can work on together.”

“Ok.”

He drops his head down and places light kisses on your neck and shoulders. “I know we’re all our own harshest critics but the one voice you can never get away from is your own and I know sometimes it’s hard to make that voice be quiet but maybe you can add a new voice.”

Scrunching your eyebrows together, you ask, “what do you mean?”

“Maybe what you need is a little mini Ted voice added to all that chaos. And when you’re feeling down and unsure, let that voice say the words that I’m saying to you now. The kind of stuff you would say to me if I was feeling down.”

The thought of carrying around a little mini Ted in your pocket was so nice to you. If only it were actually possible.

“Come here.” He stands up from the couch and grabs your hand. You follow his lead as he leads you into the bedroom. He settles you into bed, cuddling you close into his chest and whispers against your ear. “It’s okay. You’re okay. You don’t need to figure anything out right now but you will figure it out. I know you will.”

You stay like that for a minute, laying on his chest feeling the rise and fall of his body as he breathes in and out. He whispers again, “have I told you I love you today?”

You chuckle. “You tell me everyday Ted.”

“Well, I love you. So much. So what do you need?”

“Cuddles, I think.”

“Well, that’s my favorite activity. course we can do that.”

You can feel him tracing patterns into your skin while you both lie there in each others warmth.

You sit up rather abruptly, looking down at your boyfriend.

“What is it?”

“Ted, honey I’m sorry. I never even asked you how your day was. We’ve spent all this time wrapped up in my problems.”

He waves you off. “Oh, don’t worry about that. I like comforting you. Doing this for you helps me just as much.”

“Really?” You ask him unconvinced.

“Yeah. Comfort given is comfort gained, you know. The Doc taught me that.”

“I always knew she was smart.” You lean down and give him another kiss, whispering against his lips. “Thank you.”

“Course. No need to thank me. That’s what love is, right?”

#ted lasso #fluff #ted lasso reader insert #Ted lasso x reader #ted lasso fanfiction #ted lasso fic #Ted lasso fluff #ted lasso fanfic #ted lasso imagine #Ted lasso insert #reader insert

[calzone-d]

Only You (Ted Lasso x Fem!Reader)

Pairing: Ted Lasso x Fem!Reader

Summary: You and Ted have a moment in a closet at Roy and Keeley’s wedding.

Warnings: feelings, handjob/oral sex (m receiving), sassy (she is a warning of her own)

Word Count: 3.2k

a/n: i’m back! i’ve missed being active on here and writing, so i’m really excited to get this one posted. my requests are OPEN, so send things in! let me know what you want to see and i’ll either write it into a fic or do some headcanons or we can just talk!

You can find my masterlist here.

————-

It was a warm, sunny Saturday. The perfect day for Roy and Keeley’s wedding. You spent all morning helping Keeley get ready, and by the time she walked down the aisle she was buzzing with excitement. The morning had gone by in a blur, and it wasn’t until right before the ceremony you were able to check your phone.

Ted: Everything going okay?

Y/N: Yeah! We’re almost ready. See you in a few ;)

You and Ted’s friendship had slowly become flirty and more physical over the past few months. Nothing too extreme, but he now greeted you with a smile and a hug in the mornings. When he walked you home after your nights at the pub with him and Beard, a soft kiss on the cheek came after his goodbyes. Your favorite part, though, were the kisses that you now shared during your weekly post-match movie nights.

What started out as a soft peck had now become the occasional make-out session. Other than Sassy, you knew Ted’s sexual experience had been somewhat limited. With that in mind, and his most recent drama with his ex wife, you didn’t want to push him too far too soon. After being his best friend for so long, you’d started developing feelings for him. What you imagined would be the best hookup of your life, wasn’t worth sabotaging your chance of being with him.

You let out a content sigh as you breathed in Ted’s scent. He smelled like laundry detergent, and you could smell the light notes of his cologne from where your face was pressed to his shoulder. He’d chosen a rom-com for this week's post-match movie night.

The couple on scene held each other in a dramatic embrace before partaking in an even more dramatic kiss. Rom-coms weren’t your forté, but you loved hearing Ted ramble about them. Ted’s arm tightened around you while he watched as if he were scared you were going to get up and leave. You slowly lifted an arm from its place tucked between you to drape over his stomach. Ted relaxed even more under your touch as you lightly grabbed at the fabric of his shirt, just reminding him you were there.

As the ending unfolded you didn’t pay much attention, until you heard Ted speaking your name.

“Y/N?”

You tilted your head to look at him, not wanting to move from where you were now halfway in his lap. His face was so close to yours that you could smell the wine on his breath from dinner.

You heard him speak, “Do you want to watch another one? If not I can go-“

“No! None of that, it’s late and you’re buzzed.. You can stay here tonight. You know I don’t mind..”, your eyes were glued to his as he trailed off.

Instead of a response you just got a soft hum. Not that it mattered, you were too busy taking in his features anyway. Your eyes traced from his freckles, to his perfectly pointed nose, and when you reached his lips it’s like a switch flipped in his mind. The hand resting on your shoulder came up to stroke your hair, as it often did, but after a few seconds it moved around to cup your cheek.

You heard him gulp before stuttering, “Can I.. kiss you?”. His eyes slowly searched yours as you responded, “Please.”

Your eyes fluttered closed as he pressed his lips to yours. After a few seconds you both pulled away, hearts racing, and went right back in without missing a beat. As you kissed he held you tight, arms holding onto you in such a gentle Ted-like manner. When he pulled away, your breathing had picked up and your cheeks were flushed, and you could only giggle as you pushed your face back into Ted’s shoulder.

That became a weekly thing. When one of you had a particularly stressful week, when something good happened, when something bad happened. At movie nights and outside the Crown & Anchor after Beard went home. In your office at the club long after everyone had gone home.

Neither of you talked about it. Ted was worried you just wanted to hookup, like Sassy. For you, his feelings were legitimate and the idea of being shot down actually hurt. You were worried he didn’t feel the same, or maybe had legitimate feelings for her. After all, you did hear about his failed attempt at asking her out a few months back. Luckily she hadn’t come around since, and you were hoping it would stay that way.

You and Ted told each other just about everything, and you knew if he’d seen her since, he’d tell you. Deep down, you just hoped the next time she dropped in, she wouldn’t spend the night with Ted.

Your fears were put up to bat as you lined up at the altar. There she was, sitting towards the back by herself. Surprisingly, Keeley didn’t ask her to be part of the bridal party. Since Roy only asked Ted and Beard to be his groomsmen, she felt she should keep it small as well. The smirk Sassy wore made you feel uneasy. As if you knew what her end goal was.

Across the altar, your eyes moved to where Ted stood, and to your surprise he was already staring at you. His cheeks flushed when you caught him, but his smile matched yours.

After the ceremony everyone headed to the reception. It was glamorous, perfect for Keeley. Once everyone gave their speeches you snuck away to the bar. The feeling of a warm hand against your back made you jump.

“Hi angel”, you knew that voice anywhere.

You spun around to see Ted there, hair neatly combed, mustache freshly trimmed. He must’ve noticed your admiration when his cheeks blushed once again.

“Hi, Ted. Dance floor get too busy for you?”, he chuckled at your response.

“Right on, LeBron. You know me, just busting out the dance moves.”, his statement made you both chuckle.

The bartender brought your drink as Ted moved closer to you to get out of the waiter’s way. He didn’t move from where he was pressed to half of your back, though. Instead, he brought a hand up to rest on your hip. As you sipped your drink, his thumb softly stroked where your dress showed your warm skin.

He leaned in to whisper in your ear, “So what’dya say we-“

“Ted!!”, Sassy’s voice was loud as she approached your other side. Ted’s hand didn’t move, if anything he actually held you tighter, which had you smirking into your drink.

“Well, Hi, Sassy.”

“I was wondering if you’d like a guest in your hotel room tonight? You know, like-“

Ted politely cut her off, “I’ll pass, Sassy. But I hope you have a fun night!”

“What?”, she sounded shocked at his opposition.

“No, thank you, Sassy.”, by now you’d ordered another drink as you sat in the middle of a now-awkward conversation.

“But I thought we had a thing going on? Is that not what we do?”, she sounded almost offended.

“We used to, but it’s not the same anymore-“ Ted’s hand lightly squeezed at your hip as he spoke. “I don’t think we need to continue all that, Sassy. But I wish you the best! There’s lots of guys here that would love to-“, although he stayed polite her expression was one of annoyance and possibly disbelief.

“You know what? That’s fine, Ted-“ she glanced at you as she cut him a clearly fake smile, “You two have a good night.”

You and Ted stayed silent as she walked away, and both let out a sigh of relief the second she was gone.

Ted let out a whistle, “Well that was-“

“Yeah”, you chuckled with him.

“Didn’t want a night with Sassy Smurf?”, you tried acting nonchalant but you were eager to hear what he had to say.

Ted glanced down to where his hand was still holding you before responding, “You know, uh- I don’t- I’m not really interested in that anymore.”

“No?”

“Somethin’ else I’d rather do with my night”, his smile was bright as you began to grin.

“Oh? And what’s that?”, you teased.

His eyes darted around the room before he leaned in, his breath hot on your ear, “Lemme show you, darlin’”.

You looked up to meet his mischievous eyes as you bit your lip in excitement.

No words were spoken as Ted led you out of the ballroom and through a hallway, into a small empty office. No words were needed, though. You’d follow Ted wherever.

Your eyes traveled over his figure and how well it filled out his suit while he shut the door, locked it, and pulled the blinds over the small window.

His hands were characteristically stuffed into his pockets as he looked at you with the same admiration.

“Y’look beautiful, y/n.”, you could tell he meant every bit of the word.

“Thank you. So do you.”

“Good for Roy and Keeley, huh?”

“Oh, yeah. It’s been a long time coming.”, you softly mused.

Ted only stared at you as you waited for him to respond.

“What was this for, Ted? Are you feeling okay?”

Ted let out a soft chuckle as he came closer to where you stood against the wall.

“Oh, me? I’m fine as frog’s hair, just needed a minute alone with you.”, his arms opened as he met your figure and you went into them without hesitation. They were strong and intentional in the way they held you to him. He pulled away slightly, but didn’t dare let go of you.

Before you could say another word, he leaned down and pressed his lips to yours. Both of his hands gently cupped your cheeks and his thumbs softly stroked the skin there.

There was no rush as your lips softly met, parted, and met again. It was slow and deliberate. Every move was calculated. When you breathed in, you could smell so much of him, you thought you’d get a high from it. Your hands grasped the sides of his tuxedo, holding him close. One of your hands moved up to softly stroke the side of his face, and your insides burst into flames at the way it made him sigh into your kiss.

Ted slid a hand to your hip and used the leverage to inch you backwards against the wall. You slid your hands under the coat of his tuxedo rubbing softly at his back and holding him to you. Ted’s lips, more wet now, pressed against the corner of yours as he whispered, “S’this alright?”.

“Mhm”, you hummed in agreement as his lips traveled across your jaw. The hairs of his mustache tickled, but all you could focus on was the warm, wet kisses he began pressing to your skin. It was your turn to let out a sigh as he made his way down your neck and to your collarbones before pausing at your ear.

Sure, you’d kissed before. You’d even had a couple makeout sessions, but it never went this far. This was new, and it had the hot feeling of desire pooling deep inside you.

“Only want you, y’know that?”

If the new sensation of him kissing your neck weren’t enough, the admission of his feelings almost sent you into shock.

Your mouth fell open as he continued to nip and lick at your pulse point.

When you didn’t respond, he stopped and pulled away to meet your eyes.

“Y/n? You okay?”

“Y-yeah I just… Feels good, Teddy..”

You could see him grow more confident from your words. You could feel him grow more needy against your hipbone.

“Can I- should we keep going? We can always-“, you stopped his words by pulling him back in. This time when your lips met his, your tongue darted out to tease the sensitive skin of his lips. You could feel his breath hitch as his head tilted to the side in an effort to return the gesture. The way he held your face felt so protective, like he needed you to know he only wanted you.

You grew hot as you both moved faster, and Ted let out the first moan as you reached a hand around to his lower back and used to pull his hips closer to you. It was unmistakable, how turned on Ted was from the way his bulge was firm against your hip. You pulled his face down to where your lips could ghost across his jaw and over to his ear.

“Can I touch you, love?”

A breathy whimper left Ted’s mouth.

“O-of course, only if you want t- oh..”, his words trailed off into a low moan as you softly cupped his bulge through his dress pants. Ted groaned in your ear, only encouraging you even more. Your fingers lightly stroked his cock and he moved to put a hand against the wall before bringing you in for another deep kiss. His tongue immediately began to search for yours, as if it were some holy grail.

The kiss was sloppy. It was wet, messy, driven by built up tension. You traced the zipper of his pants and toyed with the button, silently asking for permission to continue.

“Y/n.. please, hun. Shit..“

The fabric holding the button to the pants seemed as if it were about to pop off as you undid it. Ted’s cock was hot and heavy tucked into his briefs, and for a split second he stopped kissing you to let his head fall onto your shoulder. His lips lazily skirted across your collarbone before biting hard, causing you to give his cock a squeeze. The moan he let out in response was filthy, needy, almost desperate.

“More, Ted?”

“Shit- yes, honey, yes.”

Ted’s eyelashes mimicked butterflies as they fluttered closed. His head fell backwards once you took him into your hand. There were a million ideas of what you could do with him going through your head, but you knew soon enough someone would come looking for you. You needed to know you’d have the chance for more.

“Ted, wait-“

He immediately stiffened and began moving away from you, “Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

You softly chuckled at his concern, “No, no.. I just- I don’t want this to be it.. I just want to make sure we’re on the same page because if not then I think we should stop..”

“What page are you on?”

“I don’t want this to be a one time thing, but I don’t want you to think it’s without feelings either. I have feelings feelings for you.. and-“

Ted cut you off with a gentle kiss, “I hear ya, darlin’. I’m there too. Shoot, we can stop here if you want.”

You flashed him a wicked smile as you squeezed him once more and hummed at the soft groan he let out.

“Just wanted to make sure I’d have the chance to do this again, love.”

“You can do this all you- all you want, sweetheart.. mmm”

You’d pulled his cock out from where it was trapped beneath his boxers. Looking down between the two of you, your mouth was practically watering at the sight of it.

Thick, heavy, tall. A pink angry tip, neatly trimmed hair at the base. Practically begging for the slightest touch from you. It seemed so fitting for the man who was currently melting under your touch.

Leaning your head down, you let a drop of spit fall where your hand was stroking him. The sounds it made were crude, but only turned both of you on more. Ted shoved his face into your shoulder as his moans poured from his lips, but the more you touched him, the louder he grew.

“Ted,” You tilted his head up towards yours, “Gotta be quiet, baby. Don’t want anyone hearing you.. Just me.”

Ted let out a needy whimper against your lips, “Only you, only you- mm”

His words were muffled by your lips as you pulled him in for another kiss. Ted kissed you like it was his sole purpose in life. Hands holding you as close as he could, tongue swirling against yours, hips rocking softly into your hand. Your hand pumped his cock at a steady pace, you were desperate to watch him fall apart for you.

“Oh, m’close- fuck”, he groaned as your hand tightened around him before you pushed him away slightly.

Still stroking him, you sank to your knees.

“Baby you don’t have to..”

His words were breathy, and you could tell he was about to finish. Without a second thought, you placed your swollen lips on the top of his cock while your hand stroked the rest of him.

Almost immediately, hot spurts of his cum hit your tongue. You eased the rest of what you could fit into your mouth as Ted rode out his orgasm. Throaty groans left his mouth as his cock pushed deeper into your throat, and his hands had found a home on your head. You let out a moan of your own after swallowing his release, you’d spent many nights imagining having his cock in your mouth. The real experience was better than you imagined.

As Ted came down from his orgasm, you gently pulled your mouth off him. By the reaction he had from the handjob, you weren’t entirely sure he wouldn’t fall to the floor from a little overstimulation. Not that you wouldn’t want to go there later, but not at your best friend’s wedding.

The sound of the doorknob jiggling broke through the muffled conversations outside, and your heart almost fell out of your chest. You scrambled to stand up while Ted attempted to fix his pants.

“That’s not the bathroom!”, you heard from outside the door. Ted’s blown pupils met yours as you both sighed in relief.

No words were spoken as you both calmed your breathing. Ted’s hand slowly raised to move towards your face, “Oh, you’ve got a little uh..” his words trailed off as he swiped a stray drop of cum from your cheek.

You took his thumb in his mouth before he could do anything else with it, and the groan he let out had you wanting to pull him to the floor right now, wedding be damned.

“Darlin’..”, Ted exhaled.

“Hm?”

“Did you mean that?”

“Mean what?”, your eyebrows furrowed as his eyes looked around the room anxiously.

“The part about the uh- the feelings n’all that”, he sounded like he expected you to shoot him down. His shoulders visibly relaxed at the sound of your breathy chuckle.

“Of course, Ted. Meant every bit of it.”, he flashed you a nervous smile as you brought him in for a kiss.

This time when his lips met yours, he held you in a gentle embrace. When he pulled away his fingers smoothed your hair back into place as best as he could.

“M’glad. Been hoping you’d say that for a while.”

“It was hard finding the words, and then with all you’ve had going on.. I’d rather be here as your best friend who loves you than ruin our relationship because I went too far too fast. One question though..”, you spoke as you slowly moved towards the door. Ted followed you and nodded for you to continue.

“You meant it when you told Sassy no more?”, you cocked a flirty eyebrow at him, but he knew your words weren’t just flirty banter.

“Been meanin’ to do it sooner, actually.”

His words brought a hopeful grin to your face as you both snuck your way back into the wedding.

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[jjsmaybank20]

Oh, Bartender!

Rebecca Welton x GN!Reader

Summary: You are an attractive bartender at Mae's pub. One night, Rebecca comes in and you hit it off. You drive her home, and the night ends in some... spicy ways.

Warnings: Smut (Minors DNI), Oral (Rebecca Receiving), Fingering (Rebecca Receiving)

Word Count: 1.4k

A/N: for @wosoobsessed. Hope you like it! Sorry if you didn't want smut, I honestly did the first thing I thought of.

navigation ted lasso masterlist

Working in a pub wasn’t what you thought you would end up doing, but when a spot at Mae’s opened up, you jumped at the opportunity. Now, after having worked there for a couple of years, you couldn’t be happier.

As expected, you did have some trouble every once in a while, but you were quick to deal with it and damn good at kicking people to the curb when deserved. You also got a lot of action, with you being an attractive person in your twenties.

One day, a beautiful woman comes into the pub and orders a couple of drinks. You can’t help but flirt with her and she doesn’t stop herself from flirting back. You find out that her name is Rebecca, and that she owns AFC Richmond, the pub's favorite team.

After some time, you can see that Rebecca is pretty tipsy. She insists that she isn’t drunk, but you are concerned enough about her that you offer to drive her home. She accepts begrudgingly, and Mae gives you permission to leave early.

On the way to her house, Rebecca continues to flirt heavily with you, making you unnaturally flustered. When you arrive at her house, she gets out of the car and slowly walks up to her door before turning around and saying, “Well, aren’t you coming?”

You jump out of the car and run towards her as she leads you into her house. Almost as soon as the door is unlocked, she pushes you up against the wall and kisses you passionately. You quickly flip it around and tap her thighs, making her jump up into your arms.

Between kisses, she mumbles directions to her room, which you follow as best you can with the gorgeous woman in your arms. When you get into her room, you sit down on the bed and kick off your shoes. The two of you continue to make out.

She begins to rub herself against your thigh, hearing and feeling your breathing become heavier. Hers does the same thing, and she sighs repeatedly at the pleasure. You run your hands down to her ass, squeezing it and taking in what she is doing right now. “Do you want me to touch you?” You ask, questioning whether you should keep letting her pleasure herself or if you should take control. She shakes her head.

“Not yet, not yet. Oh god-,”She moans as she hits her spot just right on your thigh muscle, releasing a moan of pleasure. “I wanna come first,” She says. Little whimpers escape her mouth, taking her time yet longing for the release.

She can hear you hold back soft moans of your own. Slowly but surely, her legs started shaking more and more as she felt the knot in her stomach bubbling. She kept a steady pace, breathing getting heavier and her hips moving in circles, until finally- she came. It was intense and as she came down she clung onto your chest, closing her eyes.

“Shit,” you cursed, and she giggled.

You're looking at the ceiling, but then you look down at her and shake your head. You pull her up towards you so she’s hovering over your face. “How are you so fucking gorgeous?” you pulled her in and kissed her deeply, wanting more.

“Did it make you feel good rubbing against me?” You blurted out in between steamy kisses, and she moaned into your mouth. She was now straddling you, your hands cupping the sides of her face and your hips pushing against her pelvis.

“Y/N,” she breathed out as you started sitting up and moving the two of you back toward the wall.

“Shh, it’s okay. Let me take care of you,” you said as you pushed her hair behind her ear, then reached down to rub her clit softly with your middle finger. Her light moans were very heard as her head fell onto your shoulder.

“As much as I would love to fuck you in this, what do you say we take this off?” You hold the hem of her shirt, and she nods eagerly. “Yes, please take it off,” She breathes out with heavy eyes and reaches her hands up in the air while you slide it off and throw it on the floor. You pull back to kiss her tits around the skin and then sucks gently on her nipples.

You kiss her hard one last time before turning her over so that she’s lying on her back and you're on top of her. You lean down and place soft, wet kisses down her stomach before sitting up and taking your own shirt off, and she drools at the sight.

You take her pants off slowly, seeing a wet spot on her underwear. You made your way back down to her thighs, leaving traces of kisses down her stomach. You poked your finger underneath her panties for a moment to feel her bare skin, and she sucked in a breath at the feeling. You continued to circle her clit over the fabric as you leaned up to kiss her again.

Eventually, you gave in and pulled her panties off. The feeling of your bare hands on her clit and lips was enough to make her shake already, as you dragged your finger from the bottom of her core to the top of her clit, spreading whatever wetness was there previously. As much as she wanted to stare at you the entire time, her eyes couldn’t stay open. Her head tilted back as she let you do the work, settling into the bed and into your touch.

“Open your eyes. I want you to watch me make you feel good,” You said.

She groans as she forces her eyes open and looks down at you. You begin to place kisses on the inside of her thighs, moving in forward. You kiss her clit a few times before sucking it gently. “Y/N, I want your fingers in me, please,” She managed to say between heavy breaths.

You answer her request by taking your face away from her core and coming back up to meet her again.

“Okay…” You start and then bring your hand up to her mouth, “Open,” You demand with a sweet yet sinister face, and she closes her lips around your fingers. “Good,” You pull your hand away and head back down to her pussy.

You run your tongue over Rebecca a couple more times before playing with her entrance, eventually sticking one finger in. She can’t help but keep moaning your name. Then, you stick a second finger in, increasing her pleasure. The warmth of your other hand grazes over her stomach and up to her tits as you play with them lightly. Rebecca’s eyes are having trouble staying open again as her head falls back.. Eventually, you take notice and remove your mouth from her clit, coming up to look at her. As you lean over her with your fingers pausing their motion. She whines, but you relent.

“I thought I told you to open your eyes,” You pressed your palm against her clit, and she forced her eyes to open once again. Her mouth hangs open, and she can’t find any words to say. You smirk cockily before beginning the same motion again.

“You know you taste so good? Your lips and tits and pussy. Every part of you is better than anything I’ve ever fucking tasted in my life,” Your words strike Rebecca a certain way, and she feels another orgasm coming on. Her legs start shaking again, and as you keep your steady pace, she clutches onto your shoulder and her nails dig into your skin.

“That’s it, baby, it’s okay,” You reassured her. She feels the explosion inside her stomach and she calms down from her second orgasm of the night.

“Fuck, Y/N,” She breathes and you chuckle into her ear.

You roll off of her and head towards what you think is the bathroom. You wet a cloth and come back so that you can clean Rebecca up. As you carefully wipe up her thighs, she winces slightly at the overstimulation. When you discard the cloth into a bin, you begin to get dressed before Rebecca grabs your arm.

“Stay.”

You smile at her and take your shoes off again before climbing up next to her and letting her snuggle into you. You almost instantly fall asleep, dreaming of getting to know this wonderful woman better. Maybe next time you could take her out on a real date.

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