#tickler!ted

here we go-go, mu-cha-cho!

Lee!Ted

Because of Ted's people-pleasing mentality, we all know he wants everyone around him as happy as possible at all times.

That means he can totally ler it up, but because I am so deeply in love with Jason Sudeikis and Ted Lasso equally.... I can't not let my cute man be on the receiving end of some tickles.

I can see Ted being all 'awwwhawhaw! you got me!' after he's jogged around with someone chasing him, letting them get close enough to actually get him, obv.

Ted isn't quite sure how to handle getting tickled for real, honestly.

He's been jostled and huddled and hugged so much in his life, what with his duties as a coach and having a close team around him at all times. And it always makes him smile and chuckle.

But getting tickled definitely takes some getting used to for him. And like anything new for Ted (minus the start of therapy, I suppose), he welcomes the experience with open arms and a willingness to try it out.

He's really jumpy at the start of it, when someone would give him pokes/jabs/quick wiggling fingers somewhere sensitive. But it always illicits a giggle.

I imagine Ted being really open to letting Rebecca try this out on him, what with the amazing close friendship they've developed.

And she's so teasy and so delicate with him that it drives him NUTS.

Literally Ted can melt into a puddle of whines and wheezes and giggles with ler!Rebecca coming after him.

He's a big safe word guy, even if it's literally 30 seconds of casual, playful tickling. Similar to the 'Oklahoma' safe word used in the show, I'm sure this one would be another state or perhaps a town in England to even up the playing field. Or honestly something utterly silly like a player's name (Bumbercatch! Tartt!).

Rebecca cracks up when her and Ted have gotten to the point where he'll just start yelling random words through his laughter to get her to ease up. And she always does. He chooses a new word every time a tickle attack happens and just repeats it over and over again. Rebecca knows all of Ted's signs by now so she knows when not to overstep.

Ted slowly finds some comfort in getting tickled. It sends shivers up his spine when he gets the itch for it, or when he knows it's heading his way.

Ler!Ted

Ted definitely has an easier time falling into the ler role.

He loves when he sees tickling used as a form of bonding between the players. It doesn't fluster him unless the tickling's aimed his way (sorry sorry I'll stop with lee!ted 😉).

He's playful and loving as all hell with his son so of course he's thrown tickles in there when Henry was younger.

Getting out of the in-character canonness of the show, and moving to the general xoc or xreader side of tickling, I have a few thoughts...

If Ted finds out you're ticklish, it'll be like you'd given him his Christmas gift early.

But he'll take things slow, again, not having tickling being a recurring part of his own personal life.

His first step would be to get more cuddly with you, more than he's ever been before. Like a warm up to prepare for what's coming.

He'll pepper in ticklish kisses in sensitive spots like the neck, collarbones, the inside of the wrist/palm of hand, on/behind the ear.

And from there depending on the mood he finds himself in, he'd either deliver the most loving ticklish gestures and kisses OR he'd be evil-ler-dad-mode and attack with tickles.

You bet your ass Ted uses his bristly mustache to his advantage and your demise. That poor belly...

Like Rebecca does with him, Ted absolutely respects any boundaries when it comes to tickling.

But he'll be a teaser while it's happening, of course. Saying his typical funny, naive, simple Ted things. I am clearly not up to par with the Ted Lasso writing staff, so I cannot come up with much of anything good he'd be saying. But you get the idea.

"Ooohwee I didn't know this was such a good spot!" "You've been holding out on me." "Geez! With all that kicking you're doing, I could put you to good use at Richmond!" "Who knew tickling someone could be so damn fun?"