warnings: i don't believe there are any...let me know otherwise!
word count: 1.8k
summary: ted was happy enough being back in kansas. he was close to his son again. he had you. but the cheering of fans in nelson road echoes in his ears relentlessly and he misses it. he misses the life he built there. an opportunity in the form of a phone call from higgins has the power to quiet the heartache, but he's scared about what that means for the two of you.
notes: i couldn't tell you where this came from. just a burst of inspiration after a three year drought. it doesn't mean anything will be consistent again by any means, and i apologize for anything that may be deemed subpar (is there even a plot here? idk i just wanted to write); i'm quite rusty haha. but i do hope you enjoy. thanks for being here. <3
***and since times have changed since the last time i posted any writing here...i do not consent to any of this work or any other works that i have published here being plugged into ai platforms of any kind. do so and you will be cursed. ***
Two years and three months. Eight hundred and twenty-one days. It’d been eight hundred and twenty-one days since Ted had moved back to Kansas. Was he happy? After quite a few months of forcing himself to say so, he could now say without a waver in his voice that there were more good days than bad. He was comfortable. He had a new job coaching at the community college. He had you, his partner of about a year and a half whom he’d met through a friend from work. He was okay with how life had changed since he’d returned. Now was he satisfied? Fulfilled? That was be a different story. Something — he couldn’t quite place what — was missing.
“Earth to Ted?” Your voice lilts from somewhere to his left. Your soft chuckle brings him back to reality. “Where’s your head at, Buzz? The moon won’t be out for a few more hours.” He hums in response, a small smile creeping to his lips as he looks over to you. You’re crouched down putting away the handful of DVDs the two of you’d just purchased from the secondhand store in town. All movies you’d seen before. All movies you’d find yourself cuddled up on the couch watching time and time again. Rom-coms were a weakness of both of you, something you’d bonded over on your first date. Your repertoire had grown extensively since you’d become a couple. You could probably open your own corny version of a Blockbuster if you combined your collections.
“Sorry ‘bout that,” He says, pulling his hands away from his face and turning his body away from the table to face you. “you know how mission control gets sometimes,” he taps his temple as his mouth twists into a different kind of smile. This one is a bit more somber, sadness tinging its edges.
You put the remaining DVDS on the floor and sit down from your crouched position by the sideboard, legs tucked underneath you. You study his face for a moment, glancing between his eyes, softly gazing upon you, and his tight smile. They contradict each other in a way that you’ve seen on Ted’s face quite a few times since you’d gotten together. It always means the same thing — something’s on his mind that he isn’t quite sure how to process on his own. In the year and a half you’d been together you’d seen this look plenty and learned the best course of action is to gently ease it out of him. Address it too quickly and he’ll panic. But ignore it in favor of letting him figure it out how he deems most appropriate and he won’t deal with it at all.
“Is everything okay?” You ask. “Something I can help with?” You resume putting away the DVDs, busying yourself with organizing them so he doesn’t feel pressured by you watching him. He’s silent for a moment. Thinking. Calculating the best way to bring up what’s bouncing around in his mind. Then, he speaks.
“You remember Higgins? From Richmond?” He asks. You think back to sometime last summer when some of his friends and former coworkers travelled to visit. It had been poor timing on their part; Kansas was hit with a major heatwave, and they got to experience not just sweltering heat, but also the horrific humidity that came along with it. Corn sweat, the meteorologists called it. The perfect example of Hell, the tall blonde one — Rebecca, you recalled — had said. Higgins…
“The nervous one? Gagged like…a concerning amount of times?” You ask, remembering the one man that had come on the trip. He was tall. Mousy. Had the widest eyes and approached every activity and conversation with an air of caution. Ted lets out a slight chuckle as he nods.
“Yeah, that one. He called a couple of days ago,” He responds. He doesn’t offer anything more, the look of contemplation still on his face. He’s not looking at you anymore, his gaze focused on a spot on the carpet to your left. You quirk an eyebrow, knowing you’ll have to do a bit of leg work here for the conversation to continue.
“Oh? How’s he doing?” you ask casually.
“Good, good. Got more on his plate than Henry at the dinner table on Thanksgiving, but that’s not anything new.” He chuckles at his own words and pauses for a moment. “They’re going to start up a women’s team.”
“Like the KC Current?” You ask, thinking of the local professional women’s team, and he nods. “Ted, that’s awesome! What’s the timeline looking like for that? Are they going to have it set up for the next season?” He shrugs his shoulders.
“Seems to be the plan. Just have to dot the i’s and cross the t’s on the business side of things. You know, building the team, designing uniforms. Finding a coach.” His eyes turn up again finally, meeting yours.
A coach. It all makes sense now. You nod slowly as it registers in your mind. Higgins hadn’t just called to check in; he’d called to offer Ted another job in England.
“Sounds like they already have an idea for that,” you say softly, giving him a smile. He sighs. “Talk to me, Ted,” you encourage. You stand from the floor and move to the couch, sinking into its side with your back leaned against the arm so you can face him at the dining table. He takes the hint, standing and meeting you on the couch. He mirrors your position on the opposite side.
“I don’t want Henry to think I’m leaving him again,” he starts. You shake your head.
“I don’t think he thought that the first time,” you respond. “He might not have really understood why his dad was in another country, but I don’t think he thought you left him.”
“I don’t want you to think I’m leaving you either,” he says. You lean up and squeeze his knee.
“Can’t get rid of me that easily,” you say with a chuckle. He gives you a small smile in return, but it doesn’t quite meet his eyes.
“When I took the job the first time…everything was falling apart,” he dips his head again. “I only took it to try to fix things. I…It feels…It feels like I’m trying to run away again.” You purse your lips and give his knee another squeeze.
“Honey, what would you be running from?” You ask. Maybe he does have something to run from, but you think the more likely answer is that there’s nothing. He was just happy with the life he’d worked to build while he was in Richmond, and coming home meant leaving that behind. He doesn’t respond, just shakes his head. “Ted, I know you miss it. I see it in your eyes when you talk to Beard on the phone. When you watch the matches. It’s okay, you know.”
Ted takes in a deep breath and lets it out slowly before looking up to you. “I miss it a lot,” he says quietly, almost a whisper. “Beard, the boys, the pub. Even the tv analysts that thought everything I did was bad.” He huffs out an amused laugh. “You know, those Sky Sports people are worse than ESPN and that’s saying something.”
“So…why does it sound like you’re scared to say yes?” You challenge. “Henry’s older now…I think he’d understand it a bit better. He’d also love another chance to hang out with Jamie Tartt,” you add as a tease to which he chuckles. “You and Michelle are in a better place with coparenting. Now your mama might still be a little crazy…but I think seeing you do something entirely for yourself and your happiness might give her enough courage to do the same. Hell, maybe she’ll even try therapy. You’re not running from anything this time. You’re choosing yourself. That’s a good thing.”
“Why’re you so good at this?” he asks, putting his hand over yours that rests on his knee. “Feel like I’m hitching a ride on the crazy train and you always find a way to pull me back to the station.” You smile and pull your hand away, scooting over on the couch so you can be closer to him. He turns his body so that he can wrap an arm around your shoulder in a sort of embrace. You lean your head into him. It’s warm. Comfortable.
You sit in silence for a moment. You can’t say you didn’t think something like this would be coming. As happy as you were in your relationship, you could tell Ted missed the life he’d created overseas. You’d heard about all of the hardships he faced — both from him and from the tabloids as they were happening — but even then, you couldn’t miss the way his eyes sparkled as he recounted his time with Richmond and all of the friendships he’d forged. You couldn’t miss how much lighter and happier he sounded after his weekly phone calls with Beard or the unbridled joy he radiated showing the group of them around Kansas City when they’d visited. Had he not found his way back home the two of you wouldn’t be together, so for that you’re thankful. But you know deep down that he doesn’t belong here. He belongs back there. And you think he knows it, too.
“I think you’re ready for it, you know,” you break the silence, “going back. I think it’d be good for you.” He looks down at you, studying your expression. It’s like he’s trying to determine if you mean it or not.
“What about us?” He asks cautiously.
“What about us?” You echo, holding his gaze.
“I couldn’t ask you to leave everything you’ve got here,” he says with a sigh. “It’d be…you’d have to start over. It’s not easy.”
“It would be a big decision,” you agree, nodding your head, “but I wouldn’t be leaving everything. I’d still have you.” Ted looks at you curiously. He’s a little surprised by your reaction, honestly. The calm contemplation. Would you choose to come with him? Would it work out if you did?
“There’s a lot of paperwork. And what about your job? Moving all your stuff across the ocean is crazy expensive and honestly annoying,” Ted rambles on about all of the things that he thinks would make you reconsider. It’s like he’s trying to convince himself that he’s not worth the trouble. You reach up to kiss his jawline, quieting him momentarily.
“Ted. Ted. I’d say yes, you know. I think a new adventure sounds…kind of nice right now,” you admit. He looks down at you once more, eyes hopeful, face slightly flushed from his anxious rambling.
warnings: cursing (you know what you’re getting in to here), mention of food/going out for lunch
word count: 1.9k
summary: after numerous unsuccessful attempts at getting over your crush on roy, you’re ready to give up. keeley is nothing if not a wing(wo)man.
notes: a fic that’s...not ted centered? woah. i felt a little inspo for the grumpy man that loves the muppets because i freakin love roy kent haha. apologies it’s been a minute, thank you for reading, and i truly hope you all enjoy!
“It’s so frustrating, Keeley. This is why I didn’t want to do it,” you complained.
“Come on, babes, maybe he’s just…been busy?” Keeley half-heartedly encouraged. She knew as well as you did that that was not the case, but she wanted to try to give you some hope anyways. She’s the one that got you onto the blasted app that led you here.
You thought that date had gone well. The transition from faceless conversation to a full blown date wasn’t too awkward—the conversation flowed as easily in person as it did online. He was charming, a true gentleman, you’d thought. He’d pulled your chair out at the table, told you that you looked beautiful, helped you with your jacket after dinner. He was funny, even funnier in person than through your text messages. You really thought he was a catch.
And you thought he’d felt the same about you. He’d not given any indication otherwise, at least. If he wasn’t interested, why’d he walk you home? Told you he’d love to do it again sometime? What was the point of that if he was just going to ghost you?
“Keeley, it’s been three days. I think he’d have found some time by now.” You responded. She sighed and gave you the same sympathetic look that you felt like you always got. The look that says “You’ll find the right one someday!” The look you always wanted to roll your eyes at. Yeah, when’s someday then?
The couch sunk as someone flopped down next to you. Ted was usually the one who hopped into yours and Keeley’s conversations unannounced, so you were quite startled when you turned around and were practically nose to nose with Roy. You gasped and leaned back towards Keeley wondering how much of the conversation he’d heard.
“Oh my God, Roy!” You screeched. He raised an eyebrow in response, seemingly unbothered by your reaction.
“I thought you were supposed to lead training this morning?” Keeley asked, adjusting herself on the sofa to give you a bit more room.
“Didn’t want to.” He replied with a shrug before turning towards you. “Let’s see the fucking prick then.” Okay, so he’d heard enough to know what you were talking about.
“I’m sorry?” You blinked hard as you felt your face heat up. Roy rolled his eyes and let out a huff.
“You know what he looks like. You know his name. Knowing you, you went home and searched for him, yeah?” He asked.
You nodded your head, rather embarrassed to admit that yeah, that’s exactly what you did. You weren’t trying to stalk him or anything, you just wanted to make sure that what he’d told you about himself checked out. It had; he was the perfect guy. Until he ghosted you.
“Right, so let’s see what makes him think he’s such a fucking catch.” He continued.
Perfect. You let Keeley push you onto Bantr specifically to get over the stupid crush you had on this guy, and now here he is wanting to judge the guy you chose to go on a date with. Keeley was looking at Roy with raised eyebrows, and Roy was looking at you expectantly. You sighed and unlocked your phone, knowing you had no choice but to show him. You pulled up one of his profiles and handed your phone to Roy.
“Fucking hell…not Daniel!” He locked your phone and threw his head back.
“What? What’s wrong with him?” You asked. Why was he having such a visceral reaction to one picture?
“That’s Maureen’s son and even she thinks he’s a prick!” he exclaimed.
“Who’s Maureen?” You asked.
“She’s one of the…fuck, never mind. Look, find anyone else. I know you can.” He replied, dodging the question.
Yeah, find “anyone else.” As if that wasn’t what you were already trying to do.
“Do you think it’s that easy?” You were growing frustrated.
“Y/N, there’s like a million fucking guys in London. At least one of them will be better than him.” He answered.
You sighed, closing your eyes and putting your head in your hands. The room fell silent.
There’s like a million fucking guys in London. And sometimes it felt like you’d been on a date with at least half of them. The blind dates Keeley or your other friends had set you up on were never good—you’d never forgive Keeley for setting you up with that model she’d met through her old job. You shuddered just thinking about how awful that date went. Meeting someone organically hadn’t worked out. No, it seemed like no matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t do it. You couldn’t get over your crush on Roy.
And it felt so stupid. A crush. What are you? Thirteen?
“Right, um, Y/N, our meeting is in fifteen minutes. We should probably head to the conference room.” You opened your eyes to find Keeley looking pointedly at Roy who was just staring back, his expression unreadable.
Roy held your phone back out to you. You took it from him, nodding a goodbye before making a quick exit. Keeley came out shortly after you.
You didn’t hear from Roy for the rest of the day. It wasn’t really unexpected; Roy wasn’t often the one to reach out. It did something to your nerves anyways, though. You had lunch plans with him, Keeley, Ted, and Rebecca for tomorrow. You hoped there wouldn’t be any tension after the way your conversation ended.
You were the first to arrive at the restaurant, a little brunch place that Ted and Rebecca frequented on the weekends. You got a table, shot a text to the group that you were there, and ordered a water while you waited for the others to arrive.
“And here’s your table, I’ll be back in a few minutes,” the waiter smiled as he led Roy over. Roy gave a small nod in thanks and sat across from you.
“Where the fuck is everyone else? I’m late.” He asked, showing you the time on his phone.
“Hello to you, too!” You responded. “I’m not sure, I’ll shoot a message in the group chat.”
You made casual small talk as you waited for a response from the group. You were surprised—and definitely relieved—to find that there was no tension remaining from yesterday. Honestly, the more you thought about it the more you thought maybe it felt like a bigger deal to you than it actually was anyways. The waiter returned before you’d heard back from anyone.
“Are you ready to order? Still looking?” He asked, looking between you and Roy. You checked your phone again. No response.
“Fuck it, I’m starving.” Roy said to you before turning to the waiter. “I’ll have the lamb and a chopped salad.”
“And for you, Miss?” The waiter asked. You gave your order, turning back to Roy as the waiter walked away.
“And what are we going to tell them when we get our food and they still haven’t ordered?” you asked.
“That they should’ve gotten here on time.” He answered. “You heard back from Daniel yet?”
“I…think I’ve given up on that one,” You respond, shaking your head. “I still don’t see what you have against him, though.”
“I told you he’s Maureen’s son!” He exclaimed.
“And I don’t know who Maureen is!” You raised your eyebrows, hoping you could coax it out of him. He groaned and leaned across the table, lowering his voice.
“Look, on Tuesdays and Fridays I do yoga with a group of women in their sixties. Maureen is one of them. That’s how I know her son’s a fucking twat.” Your hand flew to your mouth to stifle a laugh.
“No…Roy Kent? Doing yoga?” You smiled. That was something you never expected to come out of his mouth. You thought maybe she was a friend of his mum’s or something. The thought of Roy trying to balance in a yoga pose made you want to laugh out loud.
“Yeah, yeah, fucking laugh. But if someone else hears about this….” You held your hands up in surrender.
“Your secret is safe with me. I’ll run the next guy by you just in case you know his mum, too.” You joked. You swear you saw Roy crack the tiniest of smiles.
You two continued to chat, eventually getting your food. It felt natural, you and Roy being out together alone. It felt like a date—the date that you’ve been trying to find to get over him. The others…never showed. And honestly, you did not even notice until the waiter came by with the check.
“I, uh, guess we won’t be waiting any longer,” you chuckled as you bent down to grab your wallet.
“Absolutely not. They’re too fucking late.” Roy replied, giving the waiter his card with a nod.
“I didn’t even look at the check! How much do I owe you?” You asked, putting your bag back down and grabbing your phone instead. The waiter returned quickly with Roy’s card and a receipt.
“Don’t worry about it. Come on.” You protested to no avail as you two walked to your cars.
“Well, I had a really great time, despite the others not showing up.” You smiled. There was a small pause in conversation.
“I told them not to come.” He said.
“I’m sorry?” You asked. He told them not to come? He sighed.
“Keeley told me to tell you or she’d do it her fucking self. So I told them not to come. I’m sorry I pretended like I thought they were coming.”
“Tell me what?” You were really confused about what was going on.
“I fucking like you, okay? And seeing you go on all these dates, especially with fucking Daniel…I hate it. And I’m going to hate it even more now because I had a really nice fucking time.” He clenched his jaw. Your jaw dropped.
Roy liked you? Roy liked you. That was…not the turn you expected for the day.
“Roy…” You began, but he cut you off.
“Fuck, you don’t have to say anything. I won’t bring it up again. Goodbye.” He went to get in his car, but you grabbed his arm.
“Roy, listen to me.” He turned back around, facing you. You took a deep breath. “I like you, too. A lot. I…I’ve been going on these dates to find someone else because I didn’t think I stood a chance with you.” He studied your face, and you became aware of just how embarrassing that sounded.
“Why the fuck would you think that?” He asked, stepping closer to you. You looked at him with dumbfounded expression.
“Are you kidding? Why would I think that? You’re Roy Kent. Why would I have a chance?” You responded. In a moment of tenderness you’d not ever seen from him, he put a hand on your cheek.
“Because you’re you.” He responded, his voice barely a whisper. “And I like you.” He leaned in, his lips brushing yours for the smallest of moments. It was a quick kiss, chaste, a symbol of reassurance if nothing else.
“Could I maybe interest you in going and grabbing a post-lunch drink then?” You smiled.
“Only if we make this one a fucking date,” He answered, interlocking his fingers with your own. With almost comedic timing, both of your phones chimed. It was Keeley.
Hope you two enjoyed your date! Can’t wait for the details xx
Hello! I LOVE LOVE LOVE your writing! I’m not sure if you are taking any requests (sorry if you aren’t) but I was wondering if you could write some pregnancy fluff with Ted? Pls pls pls
ahhh hello! thank you! hehehe this actually made me really happy to plan and write. i hope you enjoy!
lil lasso - ted lasso
pairing: ted lasso x fem!reader, established relationship
warnings: pregnancy, talks of eating/food
word count: 944
summary: you're hanging things up in the nursery when ted comes home from work. you two have a night in talking about what's to come.
“Honey, I’m home!” Ted called, presumably from the doorway. You could hear the rustling of his coat as he took it off.
“In here!” You responded, poking your head out from the doorframe. He smiled brightly as he made his way toward you.
You don’t think you’ll ever grow tired of seeing his smile. After long days or weekends apart due to your schedules, it was the thing you most looked forward to.
“I thought the whole point of you stayin’ home was to relax,” he murmured, pulling you into a hug and kissing your temple.
“Oh, I was just hanging up a couple of frames! That’s not gonna hurt me or the baby. Besides, when have I ever been good at that?” You asked, leaning into his touch before flinching away. “Oooh! You’re chilly!”
You put your hands on either side of his face in an attempt to warm him up. He closed his eyes, sighing contentedly as his hands found a place on your waist, pulling you closer to him once more. You loved these little moments you shared.
“Now that feels nice. Can I borrow these for a few minutes?” He asked.
“I don’t see that being a problem,” you laughed. “How was the game?”
“Not too shabby. Think they’re finally startin’ to see eye to eye every now and then. How was your day? You’ve done a lot more in here than hang a couple of frames.” He responded.
You two talked about your days as you led him to the kitchen. It had gotten late—and you had gotten too hungry to wait—so you had made him a plate to heat up when he got home. While he ate dinner, you showered off the day. He was right; you had done more than hang a couple of frames. The paint crusted on your skin gave you away.
What you hadn’t expected upon returning to the kitchen was finding Ted hunched over the oven, pulling out a fresh batch cookies. He wouldn’t be heading back to Nelson Road for a couple of days, so he’d have no need to make anything for Rebecca. Maybe the team?
“You have to go in tomorrow?” You asked, squeezing the water out of your hair one last time before placing the damp towel on the drying rack in the hall.
“Hm?” He lifted his head to look at you. You gestured toward the open oven door.
“Oh! No, just felt like it was a sweet treat kinda night.” He gave you a sheepish smile as he holds a plate out to you.
It smelled like literal heaven. Sweet. Salty. Everything you’d been craving for the last week and a half. You were practically drooling over the smell alone.
“Oh my god. Those smells so good,” You responded, taking the plate and heading over to the couch.
“And I have something else,” he said, walking over to the door. He picked up a bag that was just out of view. It was white with gold glitter polka dots all over it. The tissue paper poking out of the bag was bubblegum pink. There was no mistaking it as a gift from anyone but Keeley.
“Keeley?” You asked, holding a cookie out to him as he sat down.
“Keeley.” He answered, setting the bag down on the coffee table and taking the cookie from you. “She got us a gift for this one here,” He put his hand on your stomach, rubbing gently.
You grabbed the bag, pulling the tissue paper out to reveal a little AFC Richmond jersey. You picked it up, holding it out to show Ted. When you turned to show it to him, you noticed the lettering on the back. Instead of a player’s name, she’d chosen to write ‘LIL LASSO.’
“Lil’ Lasso! We’ll have to take her and Roy out as a thank you.” You beamed, folding it back up and grabbing another cookie.
You moved to be closer to Ted, leaning up against him. He put his arm around you, setting his hand on your stomach. Neither of you spoke, just enjoying each other’s company. It was comforting to just sit and be together.
“Are you nervous?” You asked, breaking the silence and leaning your chin up against his arm to look at his face.
“Naw, why would I be?” He looked down at you.
“I am,” you murmured, tracing circles on his hand. He flipped it over to squeeze yours.
“You’re already so good with Henry. You may be his step-mom, but he loves you like he loves Michelle. He’s so excited, wanted to be a big brother for as long as I can remember.” He smiled, eyes finding yours.
You had been worried about how you and Ted having a baby would affect Henry. You tried so hard to make sure he felt like family when he was in England. It was hard enough that he only saw his dad during the summers and every other holiday. You didn’t want him to feel further separated from his family. It was nothing short of a relief seeing his face light up as you guys told him. He had run over and given you a hug. Remembering that moment always made you smile.
“He’s gonna be a great big brother.” You said, squeezing Ted’s hand in return as you looked up at him. He smiled down at you, a tendril of hair falling down in front of his face. You leaned away, reaching up to sweep it back into place.
“And you’re going to be a great mother. I just know it.” He responded, pulling you back towards him.
I'd really love to read like a jealous!Ted fic... Where reader and Ted are already in a relationship and reader is just genuinely being funny and witty while talking to someone and notices ted being annoyed with the person reader is talking to so now just to mess with ted a little reader becomes flirtatious with that person or something like that I'm not good at writing that's why the ask lol
But yeah something like that, all in good fun by the end
anon, i am so terribly sorry this took so long! i'm just getting settled after moving and was struggling a bit with being motivated to write. i changed it up just a little to fit the story better, but i hope you like it!
Fake It 'Til You Make It - ted lasso
pairing: ted lasso x gn!reader, established relationship
warnings: jealousy, arguments (happy ending!)
word count: 869
summary: you decide to fake some confidence at the gala, but the interactions you have with some of the players cause a bit of a misunderstanding between you and ted.
At this point, you’re used to the press that comes with being involved with Ted. You’ve been through the random (incredibly unflattering) photographs of you being blasted on the internet. You’ve endured the strangers coming up to talk—or yell, depending on how the last game went— to Ted while you’re just out and about. Yet the charity gala still manages to make you sweat. You were hoping the third time ‘round will be less anxiety-inducing, but it’s immediately clear that that’s just not the case.
The camera flashes feel blinding and somehow your outfit that fit perfectly twenty minutes ago suddenly feels like it’s suffocating you. You feel an arm snake around your shoulder, and you relax a bit, taking a deep breath.
“You alright? Your paler than Colin’s ass,” The person says. You tense back up; that was not Ted’s voice. You glance at them to confirm your suspicions. It’s Jamie.
“I’m fine. This just always makes me nervous.” You respond with a small smile. “I don’t know how you all do it.”
“You’re doing fine. Fake it ’til you make it, yeah?” He responds, clapping your shoulder and walking into the building.
“Yeah,” you say, more to yourself than anyone else. Fake it ’til you make it. You shake out your shoulders and stand a little straighter before following Jamie towards the doors.
—
It’s calmer inside. You’re calmer inside. The lights are dim. People talk quietly amongst themselves as they listen to the musical guest before the auction begins. You’re sitting at a table with Keeley, Roy, Jamie, and Isaac. Ted and Beard had gone with Rebecca to thank some of the donors; Colin and Sam filled their empty seats.
“Ow!” Jamie yelped, interrupting Keeley’s story about the latest client she was representing.
Everyone looked over to see him looking down at his chest where hot soup was slowly trickling down. He must’ve missed his mouth. You unwrap your napkin, reaching over to wipe the soup off of him.
“You know, Jamie,” you began, “this could easily be mitigated if you just wore a shirt to these things.”
“Then people wouldn’t get to see what they’re bidding on,” He groaned. “Besides, you seem to be enjoying cleaning me up.” He smirked. You felt your face grow hot.
“Oh, shut up,” you responded, smacking at his chest. “Oh my god, your chest is hard as a rock.”
“Damn! Coach, you better get back over here before Tart steals Y/N away!” Isaac calls to Ted jokingly. You lock eyes with Ted across the way. He’s no longer talking with donors, just Rebecca as they prepare to start the auction. He purses his lips and looks away, not looking very happy. You feel the anxiety from earlier bubbling up in your chest again, but you take a deep breath and swallow it down. Fake it ’til you make it.
“You jealous?” You ask, giving him a wink. He sputters something nonsensical at your comment as a hush falls over everyone. The auction is starting.
—
Most of the guests had gone at this point. Staff were clearing tables, the musicians were tearing down their equipment. You were waiting for Ted to finish up with one more conversation. After scrolling on your phone for a couple of minutes, you felt him sidle up to you.
“Hey, you ready?” you ask with a smile, locking your phone and putting it away.
“Yeah, let’s go,” he responded, leading you towards the exit.
The first few minutes of the ride were quiet. Too quiet. You felt like your little scene with Jamie and Isaac might have actually upset him.
“Is everything okay?” You ask. “It feels kind of tense in here.”
“Everything’s alright with me, Bruce Lee. Just didn’t know you were so close with some of the players.” He cuts a glance your way.
“…Is this about Jamie? Because we weren’t actually flirting.” You responded.
“Just feeling his muscles for fun then?” He answered back kind of snappily. Okay, yeah, everything was clearly not fine. You knew Ted was a little upset earlier, but jealousy? Ted never had been much of the jealous type. You tried to stay level, not wanting to escalate the situation. Ted’s reaction was understandable; he had context. You hadn’t done anything wrong, though. Don’t panic, just explain. Fake it ’til you make it.
“What? No, he spilled soup all over himself. And when he and Isaac joked about me enjoying wiping him up I hit him.” You explained. “Jamie Tart is far from my type, if you didn’t know.” You heard Ted sigh.
“Oh yeah?” Ted asked, his mood already seeming lighter than before. “What is your type?”
“Hmm, I’ve been into men with mustaches recently.” You answer, snaking your hand over to brush his jaw. “And players? Pfft. Why have that when you could have a coach?”
“You know, I think I know the perfect guy,” he says with a smile as he puts the car in park.
“Yeah?” You smirk, leaning over to kiss him.
“Yeah,” he whispers, his breath hot on your face as he leans in.
The kiss is sweet, understanding. Not tainted with the jealousy that you’d felt just moments before.
Reader has had a terrible week and everything is going wrong for the reader and by the time Ted comes home on Friday night, reader is drunk.
And things ensue from then on ...
i didn’t really focus on the reader being drunk because that’s just not my vibe. that being said, i do hope you enjoy! thank you for reading and requesting! i could not for the life of me decide what to title this...that's what took the longest haha.
lose a day (or two) - ted lasso
pairing: ted lasso x gn!reader, established relationship
warnings: drinking for the wrong reasons!!! no good very bad days, overwhelmed reader, talks of burnout
word count: 1.2k
summary: the wine might not make you feel any better about your terrible week, but somehow ted knows exactly how to.
This just might have been the worst week of your life. No, this had definitely been the worst week of your life.
It all started when you dropped your laptop. You don’t even know how it happened. As an editor, that thing was your livelihood. You were usually so careful with it.
Of course you had to trip with it while it was open in your hands.
Of course it had to land that way, cracking the plastic holding the two pieces together and snapping your poor laptop in half.
“No, please, please please,” you cried, trying to hold the laptop together, pressing the power button and swiping on the trackpad in desperation. The screen stayed black.
You held your breath as you checked your warranty, begging to whoever it was that watched over you that it was still covered.
Of course it was not; the warranty had expired two months ago. You were lucky that you’d had enough in savings to go ahead and buy yourself another laptop.
To try and cheer yourself up a bit after ruining your laptop, you decided to put on your favorite outfit and go out for a tea the next day. Sure, it was another expense, but you felt like you deserved it. It was a little treat to make up for the fact that you were out of work and a decent chunk of money. It would at least help calm your nerves as you messaged the clients you were set to work with this week that you would be out of the office until your new computer came in.
Yeah, that worked out great.
Your favorite sweater had a hole in it. You settled for a different one and headed out, only to find that your little tea place was closed on Wednesdays. Frustrated, you just decided to go back home.
“I guess it works out fine,” you’d told yourself. “I should’ve just made tea at home anyways.”
Everything seemed fine for a moment. You thought your couple days of bad luck were just that: a couple days.
That is, until you started to get emails back from your clients. Frustrated emails. Emails about how your not working was holding them back from continuing their own work. You tried to reason with them, tried to let them know that it was temporary. Your new computer was supposed to be in by Friday, and you’d be back to work as normal by Monday. A few understood. A few others…not so much.
You weren’t usually one to be incredibly vocal or expressive with your feelings, but it probably would’ve made a week like this weigh on you a little less to even just have people around. Unfortunately, it was an incredibly important week for AFC Richmond which meant you had to cope pretty much by yourself. Ted had been leaving so early and coming home so late that it felt like you guys were practically on opposite schedules. In fact, you’d only seen Ted twice this week. You’d not seen any of the others at all.
And that’s how you ended up here: alone on the couch, one empty bottle of wine on the table and another glass curled into your hands. Somehow, you still hadn’t cried. It was like no matter how much you wanted to, you just couldn’t bring yourself to do it. You just stared at the television. You’d put on a movie, but at this point it was already halfway over and you’d not paid enough attention to have any idea what was going on. You didn’t even register the click of the lock as Ted came in.
“Oh, you’re still up! Been so busy this week I thought I’d have to wait until tomorrow to finally be able to see ya!” He quickly slipped off his sneakers before making his way over to the couch. You looked up at him blankly.
“Hey,” you responded, barely a whisper.
He glanced down at the bottle on the table, at the glass in your hands, and then finally back up at you. You still hadn’t said anything. He crouched down, taking the glass from your hands and setting it next to the bottle. He put his hands on the tops of your thighs to steady himself.
“Everything okay, Billy Ray?” he asked, eyebrows knit in concern as he took in your appearance.
You knew it was meant to be lighthearted. It was just Ted being Ted, trying to gauge a situation and fix it to the best of his ability by being the funny guy. Somehow, though, that’s what broke you. Before you could even try and stop it, a tear leaked from the corner of your eye. Then, it was like they just wouldn’t stop.
You gulped hard, shaking your head and looking down so Ted couldn’t see you crying.
“Hey, hey, it’s okay.” His hand found your cheek, wiping away some of the tears. He raised up, sitting next to you on the couch and pulling you into him. “Let’s talk about it.”
You told Ted about your week. He knew you’d broken your laptop—that’s one of the few things you did get to tell him about this week—but he didn’t know about your clients. You felt stupid telling him about your sweater and your tea shop; they felt so insignificant in the grand scheme of things. He listened to every word though, patiently nodding along and rubbing your back as you slurred through your story.
“Well, clearly those clients never had an emergency of their own to deal with. There’s just nothing you can do to change their minds, and that’s okay. I’m sorry I haven’t been here for you.” You shook your head, giving him a small smile.
“You’ve been busy. You’re here now.” You kissed his cheek before trying to get up. You stumbled almost immediately, the floor swaying beneath you.
“Yeah, let me help you with that,” Ted chuckled. He snaked his arm around your waist, helping you balance.
——
The next morning, you woke up to the smell of cinnamon. You rubbed your eyes, slowly sitting up. Oh yeah, the headache was strong.
“You’re up! I brought us breakfast.” Ted came into the bedroom, setting a tray on the bed before crawling back in next to you. It had a plate of cinnamon rolls, two glasses of water, and some ibuprofen.
“God, you’re the best” you responded, grabbing the water and the ibuprofen.
“I thought maybe we could chill inside today, maybe watch some movies. Then maybe tomorrow, you know, since it’s not Wednesday, we could go pick you up some tea and then hunt for a new sweater. How’s that sound?” He smiled.
“Oh, Ted, we don’t have to. You’ve had such a busy week. You deserve some rest, too.” You answered, grabbing one of the cinnamon rolls and taking a bite.
If this man’s kindness wasn’t enough of a reason to be in a relationship with him, his baked goods really seal the deal. How’d he learn to bake like this?
“Spending the whole day with you? That is rest to me!” He reached over you to grab a cinnamon roll for himself.
“I love you so much.” You looked up to find him already looking down at you.
“I love you more.” He wrapped his arm around you. “Let’s have a better day today, yeah?”
Ted feeling really insecure with reader around her friends cause of course he thinks that reader is perfect and he doesn't deserve her but then reader notices that something is up with ted and they talk it out
ooh i like this! i tend to see ted’s insecurities not really through what he’s not, but more through what he can’t offer if that makes sense? so that’s kind of the route i took with this. this is also similar (but also the role-reversed?) to intimidating which is super fun considering it was also a request haha. thank you for the request; i hope you enjoy!
i don't want calm. - ted lasso
pairing: ted lasso x fem!reader
warnings: insecurities
word count: 1.4k
summary: ted's met your friends before, but seeing how they live their lives makes him feel like you deserve more. you assure him that you love the chaos that comes with dating 'that american football coach.
“Well don’t you look handsome,” you crooned, opening the door to let Ted inside while you slipped on your shoes. He’d exchanged his tracksuit for khakis and a button down, and he looked great.
“Not as good as you, Lucy Liu,” he responded, kissing your cheek as you closed the door behind him. “You look beautiful.”
“Oh, stop,” you responded, feeling your face heat up at his words. You grabbed your bag before slipping your hand in his and heading out the door.
“Who all are we meeting again? I’ve done a double date before, but a triple? Just feels like too many!” he asked as you walked.
“Well, you’ve already met Sarah and Ben. We went to their wedding last summer, remember?” Ted nodded. “Well they’ll be there, Laura—who I think you met in passing at the office once—and her partner Casey. I think you’ll like them!” He hummed in response.
It wasn’t a long walk from your apartment to the restaurant. You and Ted were the first ones there, so you went ahead and grabbed a table. It only took a couple of minutes for the others to start showing up.
“Y/N! Ted! How are you?” Sarah shrieked as the waiter lead her to your table. Ben followed behind, giving you a nod and extending his hand out to Ted.
“How’ve you been, man?” he asks. He and Ted briefly catch up as you and Sarah do the same. With your schedules clashing against each other and them living so far away, you’d not seen much of them since their wedding.
Not long after, Laura and Casey showed up. You greeted them as well, making small talk as you waited for your food to arrive.
“So, I guess it’s time to let you guys in on a little secret,” Laura began, a small smirk gracing her face. You raised your eyebrows. Sarah leaned in expectantly. Laura threw her hand up, flashing a ring you’d not noticed on her hand before. “We’re engaged!” You clapped your hands up toward your mouth in shock.
“Oh, Laura! Congratulations!” you exclaimed. “Tell us everything!”
“It was perfect! Okay, so you remember how we met right?” Laura launches into their engagement story. Her and Casey had met through work. She was interviewing them for a story about the success of their restaurant, and they hit it off. Two years later, Casey had someone stage an interview about their relationship so that they could propose.
As they recounted their story, you couldn’t help but notice that Ted was unusually quiet. Casting quick glances in his direction, it looked like he was listening; he was smiling, nodding along, but he wasn’t all the way there. He was in his head about something. You made a note of it before returning back to the conversation at hand. They’d moved on from the engagement story, now talking about ideas for the actual wedding.
“Well, Kew looks spectacular in the autumn. You’ll have to get a move on that, though, it books so fast,” Ben suggested.
“Ooh, noted. I do love the gardens.” Casey responded.
“I know we can count on you guys for honeymoon suggestions. You’ve been to far more places than we have.” Laura laughed. “Any ideas?”
That was such a hard question to answer. Dating Ted had led you to visiting so many places; you couldn’t believe all the places you’d gone. Sure, it was because he was working, but it was always still an adventure. You got to see him happy and in his element as Coach Lasso, and then you got to see him happy and in his element as Ted. Your Ted. Once after an away game in Liverpool, you and Ted decided to stay an extra day to take in the city. You didn’t have work and the boys didn’t have practice, so it was the perfect opportunity. Since then, it had become kind of a tradition. Every few away games, you’d take an opportunity to explore the city.
“You know, I think my favorite place we’ve ever gone was actually Liverpool. It was the first place we explored together and it was beautiful. What about you, babe?” You ask. He doesn’t answer right away. You nudge his arm and he blinks hard before looking at you.
“I’m sorry, darlin’. I was just off in my own head. What was the question?” He asked. You repeated the question so that he could answer.
This was just not like Ted, and you really needed to figure out what was wrong so you could maybe fix it. You didn’t want your friends to think anything was up, but you also didn’t want to keep Ted here if he was uncomfortable. You checked the time on your phone and feigned shock.
“Oh gosh, it’s gotten so late!” You turned to your friends. “I’m so sorry. We actually have a really long day tomorrow, so we probably need to start heading out.” He’d been off his game all night, so you silently hoped that Ted would catch your drift and play along.
“What time is it?” He asked, checking his phone as well. “Oh dear.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry we kept you! It was lovely to catch up!” Sarah exclaimed, standing up to hug you as you pushed your chair in.
“Absolutely! I’d love to see you again soon! And Laura, Casey, congratulations. I’m so excited for you two!” you replied with a smile. You exchanged your goodbyes before leaving the restaurant.
As you walked back to your flat, Ted was quiet. As your building came into view, you slowed down. Ted matched your pace, but still did not speak.
“Ted, are you okay? You’ve barely said anything all night,” You asked.
“Are you happy?” he asked. You blinked. He was worried you weren’t happy?
“What do you mean?” You ask, taken aback by the question.
“With…with us? With how we live?” He won’t look at you as he speaks. “I just, I look at your friends, at Sarah and Ben and Laura and Casey, and their lives just seem perfect. Calm. They’re not constantly runnin’ around to meet each other’s schedules. They work in the week and they eat dinner together and then on the weekends they get to just chill out on the couch. And I can’t give you that.”
“Ted…” you begin.
“I wish I could give you that,” he whispers, finally looking up and meeting your eyes with a sad smile as he jams his hands into his pockets. You turn to stand in front of him, pulling his hands out of his pockets and giving them a tight squeeze. You give him a small smile that he tries to return.
“I don’t want that,” you respond, reaching up to cup his cheek. He leans into your touch, a look of confusion flashing across his face. “I like taking off work to follow you up to a game. I like watching you all in your element coaching. I love when we get to wake up and explore some random new city for a few hours before catching a train back here and preparing for the rest of the crazy week. I don’t want calm. I want this. I want you.”
“Really?” He asks, his eyes stinging with hot tears. He tries to blink them back, but you both know they’re going to fall. You smile, wiping the first one away as it falls before reaching up and giving him a soft kiss.
“Really. But if you want to try this whole ‘calm life’ thing, somehow we do have a free weekend. And now we have an early night,” you laughed.
“I was wondering what I forgot to put on my schedule for tomorrow,” he chuckled. “I’d love that.”
You walked the rest of the way to your building, unlocking your door and allowing Ted to follow you inside. It worked out perfectly, really, because he’d put some of his clothes in your bag to save space the last time you’d gone to a game with him and you’d yet to give them back. You both got changed, ready for a night in, and snuggled up on the couch.
“I guess the big question now is what do we watch?” You ask.
“I’m always a fan of a romcom,” he responds, allowing you to lean in closer as he throws his arm around you.
“Romcom it is,” you say, reaching up to kiss his jaw before grabbing the remote.
Hello! Good morning? (Or afternoon/evening/night wherever you are!)
I was wondering if you might like to write an idea that popped into my head this morning, where after Nate finds the reader napping in Ted's office there's suddenly some gossip in the tabloids about the reader not being well, or being pregnant, etc and all of it is false. Of course the reader knows it was Nate, how do you think Ted would react being around when the reader confronts Nate about it?
bestie i am so sorry this took a hot minute!! i had something written out and ended up scrapping it and starting over! this leans a bit more platonic, but i'm actively writing on this still and plan on it having at least one more part :)
i hope you like it!
(and just for a little tidbit i'm posting this at like straight up noon, i'm in central time hehehe)
tabloid terror - ted lasso
pairing: ted lasso x gn!reader, past marriage to a man
warnings: anger & conflict, nate kinda being a jerk (pre-season 2 conflicts)
word count: 1.4k
summary: no one knows you're getting divorced until you accidentally spill it to ted. he ends up being a great person for support, but it also creates a perfect opportunity for someone to go to the press about the possibility of you having an affair.
Two weeks ago your partner decided it was time to give up on your marriage. You thought your life was falling apart. Now? Now you knew your life was falling apart, and you didn’t know what to do to stop it.
Richmond Coach and PR Representative in the Dog House! Lasso Lassoes Married Coworker! Y/N Cheating on Andrew? Hear What He Has to Say!
You hadn’t announced to the public that you were getting a divorce yet. Andrew wanted to wait until after his promotion was announced. He didn’t want his colleagues thinking it was a “pity promotion.” Whatever that means.
Andrew Calls It Quits After Cheating Scandal! Cheaters Never Win: Y/N Sleeping At Nelson Road! Sources Say They’re‘Not Surprised’ About Ted & Y/N!
You had to dip into your savings to be able to afford a deposit on your new place. With the expenses of it and having to hire an attorney on top of all your usual expenses, you worried about your finances. That financial stress on top of the already high emotional stress of the divorce wound you up. You had trouble sleeping. You had trouble eating. You were missing meeting after meeting, something very unusual for you. You weren’t coping well. By some cruel design, your acceptance of someone’s support is what sealed the deal in your misery. Because of course it was.
“You okay there, Y/N? Ya look like you’ve had one sleepless night too many,” Ted joked. He’d walked in the building just behind you.
“Hmm? Oh, no, I’m okay!” You responded, hanging your coat on the rack by the door before turning back towards him with a tight-lipped smile. “Just a busy week is all.”
“Something tells me you’re tellin’ a little white lie…” He reached down, tugging at the tag on the outside of your shirt. In your rush to make it on time this morning, you’d thrown your sweater on inside out.
“Andrew and I are getting divorced!” You blurted out.
You saw a series of emotions pass over Ted’s face: confusion, shock, pity. He opened and closed his mouth a few times as if trying to figure out what to say and how to say it. With almost divine timing, Colin and Isaac walked into the building.
“Good morning!” Colin said cheerfully. Isaac gave the two of you a nod in greeting before following Colin into the locker room.
“Here, let’s go into my office,” Ted said to you, leading you that way with a hand on your back.
You told Ted everything that day. He was the first person you told. Maybe that’s why it all came out like it did. Once you’d reached his office, it was like the dam burst. You cried telling him how it all went down, every little thing that could have possibly led to this conclusion. When Beard and Roy came in, he asked them to start practice, told them he’d be out on the pitch later.
Ted assured you that it wasn’t your fault, that sometimes things just take a turn. He told you a bit about his own divorce, something that he finally seemed to be coming to terms with. Once you’d calmed down a bit, he left to go take over training. He told you not to worry, that he’d tell Rebecca and Higgins that you were in his office and just needed some rest. You ended up falling asleep on his couch. He woke you up when he got back and invited you out to lunch with him and Beard.
That is what happened. You hadn’t cheated. And now here you were, racking your brain trying to figure out who would have done something like this to you. It was obviously someone with Richmond, otherwise they wouldn’t have gotten that horrible photo of you sleeping or the photos of you leaving with Ted and Beard. Crazy how with just a little bit of editing they seemed to make Beard disappear from the picture.
And that’s when it hit you: Nate. Before Ted sat you down in his office, he let you use the bathroom in the coaches’s offices to fix your inside out sweater. When you opened the bathroom door, Nate was in the office. He’d mumbled an awkward hello before Ted told him Beard and Roy were already out, and that he needed to talk with you before he’d meet them all out there.
Nate was usually the first one in after training. He liked being the one to get everything set up for the next day while the others chatted with players. He would’ve come in to see you sleeping in Ted’s office and had the perfect opportunity to snap the picture that graced the tabloids. You’d said goodbye to him in passing as you walked out with Ted and Beard, an opportunity to snap the other picture that the headlines kept featuring.
You peaked out your window and saw that the boys were picking up all of their belongings before headed back in from training. It was perfect timing: Nate would have just come inside. Your blood boiling with the realization, you marched down to the coaches’ offices.
“I know it was you.” You said, using all your strength to keep you voice level as you tossed a copy of the latest tabloid onto his desk. He picked it up, reading the front page before pushing it back towards you.
“Why would I do that?” He asked, avoiding eye contact with you as he started to organize the papers on his desk, trying to avoid the conversation.
“I don’t know, Nate. Why would you do this?” You asked, repeating his question back to him. “I thought we were friends. We’ve gone out to lunches and dinners! I helped you move! Celebrated when you got promoted to assistant coach!” You could hear the sounds of the players coming into the locker room. Nate stood up, and you knew he was about to try and make an escape.
“I’ve got to go to the team meeting,” He mumbled, standing up and moving towards the door.You moved to stand in front of it.
“I want an answer.” You responded. Nate stood opposite you, refusing to speak. The room stood silent for a few minutes, you looking at him and him refusing to look at you.
Behind you, the door opened a crack.
“Nate dog, we’re about to start the meeting!” Ted said, peaking his head into the door. He noticed you in the room before he noticed the heavy tension. “Uh…is everything okay in here?”
“I finally figured out who decided to lie about me—and you, actually—to The Sun. Anything you wanna say?” You directed the last part at Nate, whose eyes widened.
Ted slipped inside, closing the door behind him.
“Nate, is this true?” Ted asked, his eyebrows knitted together. He didn’t want to believe it, and that was understandable. You didn’t either, but there was simply no other explanation. His reaction toward you told you the truth.
“I, uh, I…” Nate took a deep breath. “Fine, sure. Yeah, it was me.”
“You’ve made the last two weeks of my life an absolute living hell. Why?” You asked. Your anger was starting to get the best of you. You blinked back the tears that were threatening to give way. Nate simply looked down, still refusing to give you a concrete answer.
“Nate…I just don’t understand. It hurts me to see the people I care ‘bout get hurt. Hurts worse when they’re hurt by someone else I care about.” Ted looked at him, his mouth quirked into a small frown. He didn’t know what to make of this situation.
“Sure, whatever.” Nate replied with a huff. “Can I go now?”
Ted sighed and moved out of the way of the door, nudging you to the side with him. Nate stalked out, slamming the door behind him. The chatter of the team on the other side of the wall quieted before resuming again.
You shook your head, still trying to keep yourself from crying. “I just don’t understand.” Your voice cracked. Ted put a hand on your shoulder in an attempt to soothe you.
“At least now we know who…” He responded.
“But why?” You asked. He shook his head.
“That part…I don’t think we’ll ever figure out. But onward and forward, we’ll figure out how to deal with it all, okay?” He pulled you into a hug.
warnings: insecurities, mention of hookups, roy’s here so a curse word or ten
word count: 2.1k
notes: slowly feeling like i want to write for fun again. hope to have another out soon! hope you enjoy! :)
summary: scared of what they might think of you outside of the screen, you ghosted your bantr match when they suggested meeting in person. keeley and roy convince you to meet up with them.
“You know with the way you stay smiling at your phone you’d think that you’d want to actually meet him.” Keeley said, breaking your attention from your phone screen. You gave her a look as she sat down. You were meeting over your lunch breaks.
“Keeley, you know what happened last time,” you sighed.
You were on a couple of dating apps when you first moved into the city—it just seemed like the easiest way to meet people. You realized very quickly how wrong of an assumption that was. Sure, you weren’t really looking for anything serious at the time either, but you wanted a little bit more than a hookup. It wasn’t long before you realized you probably needed to go about meeting people a different way. You were lucky that you’d moved to be closer to Keeley. She’d been your friend for years, and her being in London for a bit before you meant that she’d already had a solid group of people that she could introduce you to.
“I do, but Bantr is different, babes,” she sat down next to you, peering over your shoulder to see what you and your match were talking about, “it’s all about your connection, nothing physical. Well, not yet anyways…” Your face flushed, and you gave her a shove as she began to laugh.
She was right; Bantr is different. You’d been talking with KCFB75—whoever that was— for a couple of months now, and you knew more about him than you ever found out about anyone from the other apps. That did not, however, dispel the anxiety you felt about the possibility of actually meeting him in person. He’d brought it up before, but you’d panicked and ghosted him. After a week of not answering his message, he sent another one which solidified in your mind how different he was from the people you’d met on other apps. It was an apology for making you uncomfortable; he said you didn’t have to respond, but that he’d wanted you to know that upsetting you wasn’t their intention. You decided to continue talking with him, shocked at his kindness.
“I think I would like to meet him…eventually,” you told her after she stopped laughing. “I’m just scared.”
“I think it’s clear that he understands that. He apologized after you ghosted him, babes. Just take your time, it doesn’t seem like he minds.” She encouraged you.
“You’re right.” You smiled, locking your phone and looking at her. “We’re still on for tonight, yeah? Who all is coming?” Keeley was hosting a small party for a new company that she was doing PR for.
“Oh, right! Well, the brand invited some other people that are doing sponsorships with them. Then there’s you, me, and Roy obviously. Beard is coming, and he’s bringing his girlfriend Jane. Rebecca is coming. Ted is coming. And oh! I actually decided to invite Jamie.”
“Really? What prompted that?” You ask. She’d told you Jamie was getting better since coming back to AFC Richmond, but you were not expecting her to invite him.
“I think I’m ready to give him a second chance at being in my life. Not as a boyfriend or anything, I love Roy, but just as a friend. He and Roy have actually been getting along, too.” She replied. You continued to talk for the remainder of your lunch before going your separate ways for the rest of the work day.
You’d just finished getting ready when you got a text that Keeley was at your door. You give yourself a brief look over before grabbing your things and heading out the door.
“Stunning!” Keeley shrieked as you got into the car beside her.
“Me?” You joked. “What about you?” She waved her hand.
“You should’ve invited your match to meet you tonight. Their jaw would have dropped.” She replied.
“You still haven’t met him yet?” Roy interjected. “Fucking hell, it’s been what? Two months?”
“Roy!” Keeley exclaimed.
“No, Keeley, he’s right. I’m not doing either of us any favors by holding off…and I did ghost him once.”
“Why’re you so scared?” Roy asked, looking at you through the rearview mirror.
“I don’t know…” You looked down, playing with your hands. “I just…what if he decides I wasn’t worth the wait?”
“Y/N…” Keeley started.
“Bullshit. You ghosted him and then came back and things went to normal?” He asked. You nodded. “And you think he’s just going to see you in person and decide he’s done?” You nodded again. “Then you’re a lot fucking dumber than I thought you were.”
“Roy! That’s so rude!” Keeley exclaimed. Roy put the car in park; somehow, this conversation had lasted the whole ride to the venue. He took his seatbelt off and swung around to face you.
“Any person with fucking eyes would see that you’re worth the wait. And any person with a brain would know why. You’ve held their attention this fucking long without him knowing what you look like. Why’re you so bloody scared?” He said.
“I…I…you’re right. I’m gonna do it.” You pulled out your phone, pausing to turn towards Keeley. “Would you mind if I…invited him? They’d be late and I know you had to turn in a list for security but—” She cut you off.
“Right, um, babes…I’ve been keeping something from you.” She started. You raised your eyebrows. “I kind of…knowwhoyourmatchis.” She spoke the last part incredibly fast, as if it were one word.
“Come again?” You asked. If you heard her right, you were going to lose your mind.
“I…I know who your match is. I figured it out after you ghosted him.”
“What?!” You exclaimed. “And you didn’t tell me!” You were baffled.
“Well, no, because I wanted you guys to work it out! You’re such a good match. And actually…he’s on the list. He’s going to be here tonight.” She grinned.
“Are you joking? Tell me you’re joking.” You replied. She shook her head. “Did you know about this?” You asked Roy. He nodded his head. “Who is it?”
“I don’t know that part. Apparently I can’t keep a fucking secret,” he grumbled.
“You can’t!” Exclaimed Keeley. “You just yelled at her for not meeting already, and if you knew who it was you would’ve said it!” He rolled his eyes with a grunt. She turned her attention back to you. “Look, why don’t you text him. Tell him I’m a friend of both of you and—if you both want—you’d love to meet him in person tonight. I think he’d say yes.”
“You know what? I will. If anything so we can both be upset with you,” you huffed.
“Come on,” she smacked at your arm. “You can’t be too mad!”
“I guess not…” You rolled your eyes at her with a smile. “I’ll do it.”
“Yay!!!” She clapped her hands. “Alright, well, I guess Roy and I will meet you inside, yeah?” You nod, and they leave you to send your message. You pull out your phone and type the message. With a deep breath, you hit send. Too late to turn back, you think to yourself. It isn’t long before your phone beeps.
KCFB75: You’re kidding! Well, I’d love to finally meet you face to face for some light bantr (get it?)
You smile at the corny joke and message him back, deciding to meet at the front passed the security team.
As you walk up, you try to shake off the nerves that are starting to bubble up again. You get through security and wait near the door. It was then that you realized you had no idea who you were waiting for. You were pulling out your phone as someone behind you called your name. It was Ted.
“Oh, hey Ted! How are you?” You greet him with a smile.
“Doin’ dandy. How about yourself? You look great, by the way.” You flushed at his compliment.
“I’m well, thank you. I’m just waiting on someone,” You responded.
“Really? Well, I’m waiting on someone myself. You mind if I stand out here with ya?” You shook your head, welcoming the conversation to keep your nerves tame.
“So, how’s the team? You think they’re ready for next week?” You ask. They had a big match coming up against West Ham.
“You know, they’ve actually been more of a team lately than I’ve ever seen. I think they’re gonna go great.” He responded. You continued to talk about the team before turning the topic to the event you were both waiting outside of.
“You know, it’s been almost twenty minutes. How long is Beard going to make you wait?” You joke.
“Huh? Oh, Beard and Jane are already here. I’m waiting on someone else,” He responded.
“Oh?” You say, curious.
“Yeah. Actually,” he chuckles, “it’s gonna sound crazy, but I don’t really know who I’m waitin’ on…” He replies. And that’s when it hits you. KCFB. Kansas City Football.
“Oh my god…” you whisper.
“…but they said they’d meet me out here,” Ted continued on.
“Ted.” You say, interrupting him. He stops to look at you. You pull out your phone and open Bantr. “Are you KCFB75?” His face flushes.
“Ope, uh, yeah. Yeah, I am. I guess that could only make you—”
“READ22” You say together.
“No wonder Keeley seemed so excited when I told her my match had started talking to me again,” he said. “She knew this whole time, didn’t she?” You nodded.
“She said she figured it out when I ghosted you…I assume because you showed her that I did. Uh, sorry about that by the way.” You said with a nervous laugh.
“I mean, we’re here now, right? Don’t worry about it.” He smiled. “This…isn’t an ideal place for a first date, but what do you say we pop in to say hi to little miss matchmaker and then head out? We can do casual…maybe dinner at the greek place?” He asked, holding his arm out for you.
“I’d like that,” you smile, looping your arm in his as you walk in together.
You head over to where your friends are gathered. Keeley sees you first and rushes up with a squeal. The others follow, not understanding her reaction.
“Fucking Ted? You were nervous about meeting Ted?” Roy exclaimed. Keeley smacked his arm.
“She didn’t know it was Ted, you arse!” she replied.
“Ladies and gents, may I introduce to you READ22 and KCFB75?” Ted announces to the group. Suddenly, it seems to click in Beard and Rebecca’s heads.
“You know, I think Bantr did a good job with this one,” Beard said.
You chatted with the group for a few minutes before heading out. You worried that Keeley would be upset about you leaving her event, but she was ecstatic to see you two heading out on a date.
“Were you really nervous about meeting me?” Ted asked as you were seated at the restaurant.
“Well, yeah,” You replied. “Talking with you was so easy. You seemed like the perfect guy. Why wouldn’t I be?”
“I just don’t understand what you feel like you have to be nervous about,” Ted answered. “It felt easy to talk to you, too. I loved talking to you as you—before Bantr—too.”
“Well, that’s sweet,” You smiled. “I liked talking to you, too. Keeley actually wanted to try and set us up last summer. Did you know that?” You laughed. He shook his head. “I was too nervous that you’d be weirded out.”
“Well,” he shook his head, “Between that and ghosting me for a week, we’ve just lost too much time. I don’t know if I can forgive you.” He smiled as you swatted at his arm.
“Oh, stop being mean! I just told you I was nervous!” You laughed.
“Well, hopefully you’re not as nervous now. I’m glad you decided it was time to meet in person.” Ted said.
“Me too,” you replied with a smile.
After the date, you and Ted walked hand-in-hand back to your flat. Somehow, you guys never ran out of things to talk about.
“That was really, really nice. Thank you, Ted.” You smiled at him.
“Thank you,” he responded, “you’re the one that made it happen. I think I’d like to make it happen next time though…if you wanted to go out again?” he asked.
“I’d love that,” you answered, squeezing his hand. He leant down, his lips brushing your cheek.
“I’m glad. Good night, Y/N” he said, his eyes sparkling.
“Good night, Ted.” you responded, watching as he walked back down to the street.
For a dating app, that went way better than you ever thought possible.
