#swop

3/5

Yassss I do ittt!!

this is a swop card design i made for a little swop challenge

Last card for a friend~

AN: An excuse to watch clips of SWOP again? An excuse to dream of Jason Sudeikis saying “that’s for my girl!”? An excuse to pine over the perfect man that is fictional Ted Lasso? Done, done, and done-er.

Rating: Teen

Tags: Roy Kent/Keeley Jones (background), Coach Beard/Ms. Bowen (background), One Shot, Sleeping with Other People themed, light Violence but with Romantic Intention, Referenced Emotional Abuse, Getting Together

Fic masterlist

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No one was more surprised than you at how quickly you’d opened up to Ted Lasso. When you took a job at AFC Richmond you certainly thought it would be a job like any other. Nice people and a cool venue, maybe, but a job nonetheless. You did what was needed and you went home and hung out with your real friends, not your work friends. 

But Ted didn’t seem to distinguish between work friend and real friend, and he convinced you time and time again to join him and the coaching staff for a drink or dinner or karaoke, and you started to return the favor inviting him out to your own favorite haunts for coffee or lunch or window shopping. It only took a few weeks of Roy and Beard saying, “maybe next time,” until the default was just you and Ted. You and Ted going to the movies, you and Ted eating ice cream and talking about your families, you and Ted going for a walk on the green and discussing past relationships. You and Ted on his couch making your way through a Rom Com Competition Bracket.

But they weren’t dates. At least, neither of you had ever said they were dates. 

One Saturday in particular, Ted invited you out to a new bookstore/wine bar that had opened across town, and the two of you ran into Keeley. She was scoping out the venue for an event for a client and practically flung herself into Ted's arms. Ted saw it coming and stood up from where he sat in order to brace himself before returning to his seat with a grin.

“Babe,” she squealed when she saw you, “I can’t believe I’ve been THIS out of the loop, exactly how long have you two been shagging?!” 

Your cheeks warmed immediately and you wished she was using her inside voice but you weren’t sure she had one. You looked over at Ted and tried to see what Keeley was seeing: 

tiny table (there were bigger options but Ted picked this one because it was near a window)

both of you on one side so you could read the same book (Ted holding it open while you turned the pages)

two glasses of wine (you had gotten a sangria and he had gotten a white wine, but you didn’t like yours and he happily traded) 

a shared stack of books in between you (the two of you picked out books that you both wanted to read so you could pass them back and forth)

So, yeah, it certainly looked like something was going on. You had paused so long Ted thought you were floundering and he responded for you. “Oh, Y/N and I, we’re not—”

“I’m meeting Roy for dinner at the Crown & Anchor in a couple hours, you two should come! Double-date!!” Keeley hadn’t heard a word and was looking down at her phone so she also wasn’t picking up on the visual cues that something was amiss. You and Ted looked at each other and you shrugged with a small smile, “yeah, sure. We’ll come to dinner.” 

Keeley was out the door with a squeal and cheek kisses for you both and you laughed at the whole situation. 

“Sorry, Ted, I probably should have done more to correct that.” 

“No, no,” Ted waved a hand and smiled, “I’m certainly not upset bein’ mistaken for someone that could be datin’ you.” 

Your jaw dropped slightly at Ted’s sentiment. The two of you were flirty sure, but that was as direct as he’d ever been that he might be interested in something more than friendship. 

“Should we chug this chapter and read these drinks and head that way,” Ted joked, either oblivious to your emotional turmoil or changing the subject for his own benefit. You laughed and nodded, picking up your glass and turning the page. 

Roy and Keeley were already at the Crown & Anchor when you and Ted arrived, chatting with Beard who you didn’t expect but you were happy to see all the same. 

“Five of us then,” you asked as you walked over to the group, Ted just behind you, a polite hand on your lower back. 

“Ah, six actually,” Beard said with a sheepish look that was unlike him. 

You looked at him quizzically but it was Roy who explained, “Seems like everyone’s in a surprising fuckin’ secret relationship. Beard and Phoebe’s fuckin’ teacher, you and Ted...” 

Beard quirked his eyebrow at ‘you and Ted’, but you shook your head, “Misunderstanding, we’re just friends.” 

“No fuckin’ way,” Keeley and Roy responded in unison, and then gave each other a cheeky smile. Ted said nothing, just lead the group over to a six-top as Ms. Bowen joined from the bathroom, a pint already in hand. 

“I was just at the bar, and that bloke over there is a right arse,” Ms. Bowen clucked her tongue, teacherly even on her night off. “He’s already sloshed and it’s barely 6:30.” 

“Did he say something to you?” Beard immediately made like he was going to stand up, but Ms. Bowen stopped him with a hand to the arm and a kiss to the cheek. 

“S’fine darling, just annoying,” she replied and Ted craned his neck.

“He looks annoying,” Ted responded, and you looked too and gasped. 

“Oh fuck,” you whispered and Ted looked at you immediately. The rest of the group got on with their conversation, so you felt comfortable leaning into him and to privately say, “that’s Ben.” 

“Ben…,” Ted looked at you confused, and then his eyes widened, “BEN, Ben?”

You nodded emphatically. Ben was your ex-boyfriend and your last relationship. You and Ted had spoken about him extensively. The ways he had manipulated you, the reasons you stayed with him for so long and how much you regretted it now. Ted, more than anyone else knew the emotional toll the man at the bar had taken on you. 

“Do you.. Do you want me to go talk to him,” Ted whispered and you could see a vein in his forehead flexing. 

“No, no, I would much rather have a good time,” you patted Ted’s hand in a way you meant to be reassuring, but you realized your own hand was shaking. You weren’t scared of Ben, he’d never harmed you, but you were embarrassed and anxious that you’d have to deal with him in front of your friends. 

You managed to ignore Ben’s presence even as he antagonized people at the bar and made a ruckus by the dart board. Keeley and Roy begged off first after dinner, having to go pick up Phoebe from Roy’s sister’s. You, Ted, Beard and Ms. Bowen could have moved around now that there were fewer people at the table, but you chose to stay tucked into Ted’s side and he didn’t seem to mind. 

“One last pint,” you asked Ted and he agreed, so you stood and he made to follow you. “No, it's okay, I’ll grab them on my way back from the bathroom.” 

It had quieted at the bar, so you had truly forgotten that Ben was even there, but as you stopped and asked Mae for two more pints you knew it was him who had sidled up behind you. Sure, you and Ted flirted, but he would never grab you by the hip like that, quick and aggressive. 

“Loveyyy,” Ben droned low in your ear, “One of those for me, yeah?” 

“Fuck off, Ben,” you responded quietly, accepting the pints from Mae and making to return to the table. 

“Ben, you know you’re cut off and if you keep acting an arse in my bar, I’ll have to ask you to leave," Mae said sternly. Ben held up his hands in a gesture of innocence but as soon as you took a step he blocked your path. 

You sighed, “Ben, seriously? I don’t want to nor do I have to play your silly games. Pardon me.” You stepped to the side and so did Ben. He loomed over you and was just drunk enough that although he’d never hurt you before, you couldn’t quite trust his intentions. 

Ted appeared at your elbow, his hands in the pockets of his khakis. You knew because you always checked his hands first when things were tense. He was looking only at you, not Ben. 

“Need a hand, I can grab one of those,” Ted offered and you handed him one of the pints with a smile. He stepped back so you could walk in front of him and he could keep Ben away from you, but Ben wouldn’t be put off so easily. 

“Oh, what not even going to ask after me mate,” Ben asked aggressively, shoulder checking Ted so his beer sloshed to the already sticky floor. 

Ted chuckled but it was a humorless sound. You quickly sat your beer on the table with Beard and Ms. Bowen who were so lost in each other they hadn’t noticed anything going on. You hurried back to Ben and Ted to try to keep the peace. 

“Ah, no need to ask after you,” Ted responded, “I  know who ya are. And we ain’t mates.” 

“You’re shaggin’ this old man now, Y/N? Best you could do after me?” 

You rolled your eyes, expecting Ted to shake his head and walk away but you were surprised when he sat his beer down and shook his hands out before putting them back in his pockets, the vein in his forehead flexing again. You’d never seen him so agitated. You picked up Ted’s beer, and pulled one of his hands out of his pocket and into your own, rubbing your thumb across his knuckles. It seemed you were getting through to him because he looked at you and this time his small smile seemed genuine. 

He turned to follow you, his hand firmly in yours but then Ben pressed a rough hand into his shoulder. “I bet she’s blowing your fuckin’ mind, isn’t she mate? Does she do that thing with her tongue? She’s always been such a little sl—”

Ben was cut off by Ted’s fist hitting the side of his chin, and he went down, hard. Ted had pulled himself from your grasp in order to hit him and now he stood over him, chest heaving with rage, the bar silent around you.

“Oh fuck,” you gasped and Beard was near you in an instant, pulling you away in case things escalated, but Ben just sat up and didn’t move to continue the fight. Ted grabbed him by the collar of his shirt anyway. “You didn’t deserve her, ya hear me,” Ted said quietly. 

“It’s okay Ted, s’alright,” you called to him, and Beard tugged him away, giving Mae an apologetic wave and hustling all of you outside. As soon as the cold air hit, Ted turned remorseful. 

“Ah jeez, I’m sorry,” Ted said looking down at his feet as he walked next to Beard, you and Ms. Bowen behind. 

“Don’t need to apologize to me,” Beard grunted. “But I also don’t think you and Y/N are much of a 'misunderstanding'. We’ve been friends for many years and I’ve made many enemies, and I’ve never seen ya like that.” 

“Well, Beardo, you can defend yourself…” 

“Sure. Rupert’s still unpunched though. He just got a game of darts.” 

Ted chuckled and Beard patted him on the back reaching for Ms. Bowen’s hand to lead her away from the pub. “Just talk to her.” 

You walked up behind Ted, looping your arm through his as Beard and Ms. Bowen disappeared into the night, having heard none of their quiet conversation. The two of you started walking towards Ted’s in silent agreement and quiet contemplation.

 Ted stopped outside of his apartment, “You’re welcome to come up, but I understand if you, ah, need some space. I’m so sorry, Y/N, that was… I should have controlled myself better.”

“That was probably the best thing anyone has ever done for me. And incredibly hot,” you slipped in the last part quickly and Ted smiled as he turned to meet your eye. 

“Yeah?”

“Oh yeah,” you responded. “Makes me wonder how else you might…lose control.” You trailed a bold finger down the buttons of Ted’s shirt and watched as he blushed. 

“Well in that case,” Ted inclined his head up towards his apartment and you nodded. “I’ll do anything for my girl.” 

You grinned at that, and hooked a finger in between the buttons of Ted’s shirt, stopping him before he could walk up the stairs and pressing your lips to his, trying to impart everything you felt for him. He met you eagerly, a gentle hand to your jaw to tilt your face and properly slot your lips together. You pulled away just enough to make your way safely up the stairs and not embarrass yourselves in front of Ms. Shipley. 

The heat cooled a little when the two of you made it in the apartment, the gravity of the shift in your relationship really settling over you. But you smiled and so did he as the two of you sat on the couch, barely a breath of space between you. 

“I know this is going to sound crazy because Ben and I broke up a year ago, but god, that felt like closure. I feel like I owe you, Ted.” 

Ted took your hand in his and you met his gaze, surprised at the amount of emotion you saw there, “I love you for free, Y/N.”