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It wasn’t a remarkable morning—in fact, the day began exactly as it had so many times over the past two and a half years.
Ted sat in the chair on the other side of Rebecca’s desk, his ankle resting over his knee. He was wearing a white Richmond polo which Rebecca was partial to, if only for the seldomness with which he wore them and the way it glowed against his tanned skin.
She really, really shouldn’t be thinking about Ted and his skin, but her mind drifted more and more to him these days.
It was just so easy with Ted, so effortlessly intimate. Spending time with him felt like something she’d been doing her whole life and yet it simultaneously thrilled her as if it were the first time.
Even when he first arrived in Richmond and Rebecca was sabotaging him, she couldn’t help but smile and laugh and tell him anything he asked about and more. It had been like this since the moment he walked through her door, their banter and clandestine smiles.
So, it only seemed natural when Ted, mid-sentence, turned back to her as he was walking toward the door.
He ducked his head and the casual set of his shoulders loosened something in Rebecca and it just felt normal to do this, like it was something that had happened a million times. He moved forward but Rebecca met him halfway.
She leaned in fueled by autopilot and the misinterpretation that she understood what was about to happen.
His lips closed on hers chastely, but it sent a spark up her spine. Ted’s mustache bristled against her skin coaxing a sigh from the back of her throat.
He pulled back gently, tongue swiping across his bottom lip as if savoring her.
The only thing giving him away was the bright red flush that spread across his neck and cheeks as the reality of what they just did crashed against him.
His hands were shoved deep in his pockets as if that was the only way he could keep from touching her.
“Uh I’ll see ya later alligator,” Ted croaked, tripping over his words.
Rebecca watched slack jawed as he turned to leave the room, walking into the door before he opened it.
Ted laughed and she laughed, and the moment was over as quickly as it came.
She sank back in her desk chair, staring at the spot on the floor where they’d stood.
What the fuck?
They don’t talk about the kiss. In fact, the way they decide to respond to the kiss is by kissing again.
The next morning, when Ted stood to leave after biscuits with the boss, he lingered a moment too long. His eyes were shy but the tug at the corner of his lips and the way his eyes tracked her gave him away. She knew what he wanted, and she wanted it too.
Rebecca had spent the entire night before walking around her house aimlessly, suddenly feeling it was too big and too empty.
She vacuumed the floors, twice, even though her housekeeper had been over two days prior.
Then she lay awake, staring at the ceiling, willing every cell in her body to remember exactly how it felt to kiss Ted Lasso in case it never happened again.
He’d stalled leaving so Rebecca stood, stretching across the desk. She was shorter than him like this and it was oddly comforting feeling so enveloped by his physical presence. Ted is remarkable in that he only gets less intimidating the closer you are to him. Other men, certainly the kind of men Rebecca usually dated, weren’t like that.
They were brooding and aggressive, still or standoffish. But with Ted she knew exactly what to expect and it didn’t bore her like she always thought would happen with nice boyfriends. Being close was alluring and romantic and even a little sexy, even in this awkward stage of theirs.
He leaned in and she didn’t have to will herself not to pull away because everything in her was alight with how much more she could have if he only stepped just a little closer—
Ted’s lips were on hers again. He was warm and soft and Rebecca let out an embarrassing whimper, but she couldn’t be bothered to think much about it because Ted heard and responded with a satisfying hum into her mouth.
And she in that moment she knew. She knew this was more to her and was more to him.
And suddenly, they had fallen off this precipice together except it sort of felt like flying instead.
It became a ritual for them, just one kiss, every day. The little pink boxes started to have four biscuits instead of three and it felt like something. Like he was consciously, or maybe subconsciously, giving more of himself to her.
This was new to Ted; dating, flirting, picking up on subtle cues. He and Michelle had been high school sweethearts which was wonderful but meant he never truly learned how to do this.
He nearly disintegrated that first time when he pulled back from her lips and realized what he’d done. Rebecca looked surprised but satisfied. And he knew he read the cues right that time because she leaned in to meet him halfway.
It certainly wasn’t how he imagined their first kiss would go—god, he really had thought about kissing her a number of times before it finally happened. How had he not realized what this was?
All Ted wanted was to belong to people, to be tied to them. He was in the habit of creating makeshift families in whatever setting he was in.
He’d just assumed it was the same with Rebecca. All those little things he did to try to say, ‘let me be your person.’ But somehow it had shifted and began to feel different, and Ted thought of the ways he wanted to be everything and only for her.
He’d kissed her out of instinct, like the rational thinking part of his brain had short-circuited and he was only able to make decisions based on what he wanted.
And he wanted her more than anything he could remember wanting in a long time.
Their relationship had always been laced with intimacy, whether they acknowledged it or not. They met every morning, and sometimes drove home from work together, drank at the Crown and Anchor, texted during the off season, talked through her office window.
And now, they kissed. Regularly. And if Ted was able to, he’d kiss her until the end of time.
They didn’t talk about it and for once, Ted was okay with not talking.
They’d been dancing around each other for so long and now they were in it or over it or whatever but the whole thing seemed so much simpler now. Why complicate things by talking about it?
It was getting harder and harder to contain their new ritual to her office. Rebecca wanted to kiss him all the time now.
Sometimes it was all she could think about as she stared at her laptop pointlessly. She’d count the hours until biscuits with the boss and after, she’d count the hours until the end of the workday when Ted would occasionally stop by on his way home.
There were of course the few midday visits, one of them wandering to the other’s office to touch base. Those meetings were mostly business, and usually included players or Higgins.
On a Tuesday afternoon, nearly a month into The Kissing, Ted knocked on Rebecca’s door while Keeley sat perched on the couch.
“Hey, Keeley!” Ted said excitedly.
“Ted!” Keeley squealed in response, as if she didn’t see him once a week at the team’s social gatherings.
“Did you need something, Ted?” Rebecca’s voice was tight with need, the sound flushing her cheeks.
Ted looked startled from his thoughts; his gaze heavy on her.
“Oh, yeah, um,” he cleared his throat awkwardly, “Just wanted to give you some feedback from the boys on the new uniforms—uh kits.”
Rebecca smiled at him fondly. He was rather adorable when he was nervous.
“Alright well let’s see it.”
Ted nodded, walking around her desk to stand next to her. Rebecca’s hand settled on the small of his back, gently pressing into him.
She was rewarded with a whimper, covered by a discreet cough.
“These are nice,” Rebecca noted, “Leave it here and I’ll see what I can do.”
“Thanks, boss.”
And without either of them thinking or caring, Ted ducked his head and captured her lips in his. His thumb brushed the bottom of her jaw before he pulled away.
Rebecca smiled up at him, wiping the lipstick from his mouth with her thumb.
Ted turned, eyes widening when he saw Keeley staring at them, her mouth agape, ponytail crooked.
“See ya, Keeley,” he chirped casually.
“Bye Ted.” The young woman sounded as dazed as she looked.
Rebecca smoothed her hair, shifting her attention back to her laptop as Ted shut the door behind him.
“Yeah, so Rebecca—I’ve got a question.”
“Yes keeley?” she answered as if she’d forgotten there was someone else in the room. Truth be told she had.
“What the absolute fuck was that?”
Rebecca groaned in response, burying her head in her hands.
“Keeley I can’t talk to you about it because I haven’t even talked to him about it.”
Keeley moved to the chair in front of the desk, plopping into it gracelessly.
“Sorry what?” she questioned, “Just how many times has this happened?”
Rebecca groaned again, sliding down in the chair. Her hands covered her face, hiding from her friend.
“At least once a day for the past month.”
Keeley shot up as if propelled by an invisible force.
“Are you fucking kidding me! You’ve been making out with Ted and didn’t think it was important to tell me!”
“Not exactly making out,” Rebecca clarified, “It’s rather innocent actually.”
“Innocent or not this is a big fucking deal,” Keeley argued.
“We’re trying not to make it one…a big deal, I mean.”
Keeley let out a bubbling giggle, “Alright then, whatever you crazy kids have decided, I’ll go along with.”
Rebecca rolled her eyes but couldn’t hide the smile of relief stretching across her face.
“But we’re getting hammered tonight and you’re going to fill me in on all the details,” Keeley said as seriously as she could muster. “I mean it, I’ve got questions about that mustache.”
“Keeley!”
The two of them dissolved into laughter, unadulterated joy rattling in Rebecca’s chest.
The kisses changed over time; now Rebecca had a meticulously kept catalogue of all the ways he’d kissed her.
There were times when it was chaste or quick as if the movement had been engrained into him. Rebecca liked those—it made her feel there was much more to their relationship than either of them had named, a kind of domesticity reserved for couples like Higgins and Julie.
There were tired kisses, usually at the end of the day. Those were clumsy and a little desperate, as if he would only make it home if he was fueled by her.
There were lingering kisses, both of them continuing this kiss but too hesitant to deepen it. Those were a bit awkward and left Rebecca’s skin burning. It was so close to what she wanted but not enough. Afterward, Ted would shove his hands deep into his pockets and she knew he wanted the same. It was just that open mouthed kisses with her gaffer seemed to cross a line and once it was crossed, they’d have to talk about what it all meant.
And then, just days after Keeley had witnessed their new ritual, a new kind of kiss emerged…
“Knock, knock,” Ted called, walking into her office. Rebecca turned from where she was standing at the credenza, fixing herself a cup of tea.
“Good morning, Ted.” She smiled brightly at him as he stepped closer. He smelled like coffee and aftershave; it was a little intoxicating.
“Mornin’ sweetheart.”
And damn if she didn’t love the way that sounded coming from him.
When he pressed his lips to hers in their now customary greeting, Rebecca’s mouth was soft and pliant against him, lulled by his drawl and warmth.
Ted must have felt her legs go a bit wobbly because his arm wrapped around her lower back, pulling her in closer, while his other hand threaded loosely in her freshly sculpted curls.
This was…well different. Before now, they had kept their hands to themselves, robotic and stiff.
When the kiss ended, they were still wrapped up in each other, Rebecca’s palm flat against his chest. She couldn’t help but laugh at the two of them, kissing each other senseless over morning beverages.
Ted huffed a laugh in return, his nose crinkling slightly. And suddenly it wasn’t enough, these stolen kisses for no rhyme or reason. She wanted to kiss him properly, purposely.
But this was better than nothing and Rebecca had so thoroughly convinced herself she was going to lose him if anything else changed.
So, she stayed in his arms, inhaling him until the kettle went off and she had a reason to step away
The following weekend brought with it an away game, meaning for two nights Ted and Rebecca slept just down the hall from each other.
Richmond won the match and Rebecca found herself, without thinking, walking down to the locker room to see Ted.
He looked so happy on the jumbo-tron, she couldn’t help the smile that broke across her face. Keeley insisted she had permanent hearing loss from Rebecca’s cheering.
She didn’t care, all she wanted was to be close to Ted, to feel his infectious energy, to be happy together. It was uncharacteristically sentimental of her, but Ted had always made her feel that way, had always made her believe fairytale love wasn’t just for people in movies.
When she got down to the locker room, Ted was packing his bookbag, high fiving the boys on their way out.
His lips were pink, cheeks flushed from the wind and Rebecca wanted to kiss him so badly it made her ache. Kissing him there, then would be against the rules.
She felt silly insisting there are rules, they’ve made them so surely, they can break them, but there’s also something sacred about this new part of their relationship. Something that made her private and protective, patient.
Instead, she laid a hand on his shoulder, “Congratulations, Ted.”
“Hey, boss! Good to see ya down here.”
And the way he smiled at her made her believe, down to her bones, that he was truly happy to see her.
“Fancy a celebratory drink?” Rebecca quirked a brow at him.
Ted glanced to the floor, then to Beard, avoiding her for a moment as if there was something he wanted her to know but couldn’t quite say.
“Actually, Coach Beard and I were going to head back to the hotel and order takeout. We’ve got some post-game work to do.”
Rebecca couldn’t help the disappointment that settled in her stomach. She had hoped this weekend was a good excuse to spend some extra time with Ted outside of work.
As if he read her mind, Ted spoke again, “I could walk ya back, though. If you’d like.”
The promise of ten extra minutes felt like she’d won the lottery.
“Lead the way, Coach Lasso.”
He ducked his head shyly at the fondness, the teasing flirtation in her voice.
Ted and Rebecca trailed behind Beard as they walked out of the arena. The stood close enough that their fingers brushed each other as they carefully stepped down the stairs to the back exit.
The air had grown cooler since the game ended. Rebecca wrapped her A.F.C. Richmond scarf tighter around her, tucking into her designer coat. Her stilettos clicked against the shiny black pavement.
“Startin’ to rain,” Ted remarked, looking at the sky warily. “You’d better hang on, don’t want you to slip or nothin’.”
He held his arm out, offering it to her for balance.
“Right,” Rebecca said, business-like, linking her arm in his. She could have sworn she heard Beard stifle a laugh.
The wind blew misty droplets across their skin, but Rebecca was warm all over. He was soft and solid next to her in a way only Ted could be. She was constantly amazed by how safe she felt with him, fiercely protected but never in a way that intimidated.
They stayed arm in arm until reaching her hotel room, just a few doors before Ted’s.
The travel schedule meant they’d missed biscuits with the boss, and their usual morning kiss. Rebecca peered nervously at Beard, expecting them to part ways genially. But Ted had a different idea.
His nose bumped against hers and he waited a moment as if asking permission. Rebecca nodded imperceptibly and he stretched up to kiss her.
She had to bite back the needy sigh that threatened to escape. Kissing him for the first time that day felt like she’d finally found a well in a desert. Rebecca drank him in.
When they broke apart, she realized her hands were in his, held closely against his chest.
The two of them looked at Beard who seemingly cycled through multiple emotions—first wide-eyed surprise, followed by something akin to pride, then joy, before settling on…nonchalance, as if this was exactly what he expected. Truth be told, it probably was.
“Goodnight, Rebecca.”
Ted pressed his lips to her cheek softly before continuing down the hallway.
Rebecca shut her hotel room door behind her, leaning against it.
And if she let out a little squeal of delight, no one would have known.
The following Monday found Rebecca in back-to-back meetings until training in the afternoon. Of course, her one free hour of the day was Ted’s busiest.
She paced the length of her office, moving to make a cup of tea to settle her nerves, only to find she’d already made one and had forgotten about it. Rebecca dumped the tepid liquid down the drain and started the ritual again. Maybe having something to do with her hands would help.
She’d spent all weekend flipping through her mental catalogue—she was certain Ted Lasso had kissed her in just about every way imaginable. That should have been enough for her, but it wasn’t. Because what she really wanted to know was how Ted would kiss her beyond anything she could imagine.
What it would be like to kiss him in the kitchen while he made dinner, or in the car when she dropped him off at the airport, or in the morning when he rolled over to look at her through sleep leaden eyes, or underneath her fresh sheets when—
The sound of his voice filtered in through her open window and Rebecca knew this wasn’t just an accident. This was exactly what she wanted; he was exactly what she wanted. She just wanted to be sure he felt the same. That he knew she was all in.
“Teeeeedddddd,” Rebecca yelled out the window.
He turned so quickly at the sound of her voice, she worried he pulled a muscle.
“Hey, Rebecca!”
“Could you come up here for a moment?”
Ted looked back to the pitch, then to Roy and Beard.
“Now?”
“Yes, please!”
She had barely finished her sentence before he was jogging toward the tunnel, running his way up the stairs, and bursting through the door.
He was out of breath by the time he reached her.
“Did you need somethin’ honey?”
Rebecca smiled at him softly.
“Come here, please.”
Ted tilted his head at her, “You’re bein’ awfully polite this afternoon I—”
She swallowed the rest of his sentence, kissing him soundly. He melted into her touch, but she pulled back, hesitant.
Ted stood dumbfounded until he managed to mumble, “That was…mm..yeah it’s just uh—"
Rebecca quirked an eyebrow expectantly, trying to veil the growing smugness she felt at rendering him speechless.
“Good because I’d like to do that again.”
“Mhm yes ma’am no complaints—”
She cut him off again, pressing her lips firmly to hers. Ted swiped his tongue along her bottom lip, and she sighed, opening her mouth to him.
He gave a satisfied hum, pulling her closer to him.
It was if a dam had broken—all the ways they’d held back from each other were suddenly obsolete. Their hands trailed each other’s bodies hungrily. The noises coming from them nearly sinful.
Ted broke the contact first, gasping a little.
“At the risk of movin’ too quickly here,” he said with a smirk, “Do you think I could cook dinner for you tonight?”
Rebecca laughed, tucking her face into the crook of his neck, “I thought you’d never ask.”