Hey guys! I absolutely love writing these two, I will never be over them or this show, so sorry (not sorry) if you're sick of reading about how obsessed I am XD

Anyway, this one is for Lizzy0305, who when I asked if there was a Tedependent fic she wanted me to write responded with an entire plot for me to work with. She deserves this even more cause this isn't even her ship, she's just an awesome friend (and knows I won't write her ship XD). Love you, dear 3

Hope you like this one, let me know if you do ^_^ much love xox

XOXOXOXOXOXOX

"Don't settle for fine."

Those words had been rattling around in his head for weeks now.

Whether it was first or second hand advice, he didn't know, but he did know that Rebecca was a wise woman, someone Ted respected greatly, and thought of highly. She was a good friend and confidant, and her advice had been sound, but gosh was it putting him through the ringer.

Ted had found himself re-evaluating his entire relationship and marriage with Michelle, and then of course his…fling – was that what people called it? 'Friends with benefits' was maybe more appropriate, or was that too high school? Anyway, whatever it was – with Sassy.

Had his marriage been just 'fine'? He didn't think so, at least not for the most part. Toward the end of their marriage there was the possibility that it had moved from fantastic, happy, picture perfect, and sadly segued into stagnant, going through the motions, fine. Ted had loved Michelle, had thought she was 'the one' but it seemed that he was wrong.

After deliberating his marriage, Ted did come to a more thorough conclusion that that part of his life was over, and a weight lifted from him as he realised that previously he would have settled for fine just to be Michelle's husband again, but he'd grown, he deserved to be loved in return.

The situation with Sassy was somehow easier and harder to figure out. On one hand Ted had thoroughly enjoyed their steamy nights together. They'd helped to distract him from his open wounds, made him feel wanted again, put him back in the saddle, not to mention that Sassy was smokin', and a wild cat in bed. On the other hand though, Ted had thought there was more between them then there was, had wanted there to be more, but he'd ended up feeling…sour, hurt, unwanted, used? Honestly he wasn't sure how Sassy's rejection had made him feel, he'd told himself that it was fine though, which of course Sassy was entitled to her own thoughts, feelings, and decisions, there was no debate there, but Ted…well, he was a bit at a loss.

How did he proceed? Did he want to get back into dating? Was he truly too much of a mess to be good for anyone? Was he stuck in the habit of settling? Would he choose the wrong person? How would he even go about looking for a potential partner?

The questions seemed endless, and while posing them to the Diamond Dogs had helped somewhat, it didn't quite quell the uncertainty weighing on him.

Ted sat in his office alone, Beard and Roy had left for the day, and the team were long gone after training. The quiet tapping from the conjoining office meant that Trent was still there, probably so focused on typing up that day's observations from his notebook that he hadn't realised that it had gotten dark outside. The thought made him smile, Trent often made him smile, well, a lot of things did. For instance; the thick, nuttiness of peanut butter on his tongue, or watching the team encourage each other, or seeing a dog wagging it's tail excitedly, but Trent was a special kind of person.

He knew how to blend into the background of a room, but still managed to bring a warm, comforting presence to it anyway. Trent was intelligent, it was there in his eyes if you managed to see past the twinkle in them, on top of that he was sharp and witty, educated and well spoken, confident and charming, and all of that was wrapped up in a fashionable, well groomed, compassionate, enigmatic exterior with the most stunning head of hair Ted had ever seen.

Elbows on his desk, fingers intertwined under his chin, and zoned out of this dimension, Ted didn't notice when the soft clacking of fingers on a keyboard ceased. Nor did he hear the quiet footsteps of Trent's white Converse on the carpeted floor of the office as he strolled up to Ted. In fact, Ted was so lost in thought that it took both Trent saying his name, and clicking in front of his face for Ted to come back to planet Earth.

"Huh? Sorry, what did you say?" Ted queried, startled into sitting back upright in his wheelie chair.

"I was attempting to say good night, but you were pretty out of it…are you alright, Ted?" Trent asked, brows furrowed in a way that Ted knew meant he was concerned.

"Yeah, yeah…just thinkin', ya know…heh," Ted brushed it off, straightening his jumper as he readjusted himself in his chair.

"Work or Personal?" Trent surprised him by asking.

Ted glanced at his hands, "Personal," he admitted, "work I've got sorted out for today," he half joked in addition.

"Are you still trying to figure out what you want to do in regards to dating?" Trent inquired, not a hint of journalist Trent in his tone, just his solicitous friend – and fellow Diamond Dog - Trent there to listen and help.

Ted sighed long and heavy as he nodded, and that seemed to be all Trent needed to hear. Trent dropped his messenger bag to the floor with a dull thud and pulled up Beard's chair from the opposite desk to sit right next to Ted.

Trent looked directly at the coach, hands clasped in his lap as he spoke, "I think the first question you need to ask yourself is 'do you feel ready to date someone?'"

"Yeah, I mean I thought so, but then Sass-"

"No, Ted," Trent cut him off with a sharp shake of his head, luscious locks swishing from side to side, "don't think about what anyone else has said, only you know how you feel. Do you, Ted Lasso, feel ready for a relationship?"

"Yes," Ted replied more confidently.

"So what is truly holding you back then?" a raised eyebrow went with the query.

"Erm…well…I-I'm not entirely sure," Ted frowned, "see, when I think about what I would want in a relationship, my brain just goes back to the early years of my relationship with my ex-wife, and then I get caught up wondering if I'm just trying to replace her, if I haven't actually made any progress and I'm still stuck settling for fine, when I should be looking for something better."

Trent's chair inched closer, he seemed to contemplate Ted's words for a few moments then suggested, "Are you perhaps afraid that you won't be able to fall in love again?"

"I thought she was the one," Ted murmured, not looking at Trent.

"She may have been 'the one' in some aspects, but not in others, and ultimately evidently not the one you are supposed to spend your life with," Trent advised, and Ted made to speak, but the journalist wasn't done talking. "Love comes in many varieties, Ted, you loved Michelle one way, and you love your son another way, you love this team differently again, you have so much love to give Ted, I see it every day. You've got to allow yourself to try, give yourself a chance to be happy with someone again."

Ted chewed his lip, Trent was right, everything that he'd said made sense, and yet…

"I'm not sure I can find the right kind of love with another woman though," he admitted, grimacing into his palm, feeling as stupid as it likely sounded.

"What about with a man?"

Trent's question was light, innocent, and when Ted's gaze snapped up to the journalist there was that twinkle in his eye.

"Uh…um…" Ted was a bit lost for words – very uncharacteristic of him – "I-" he wet his lips, "ha, I can't say I've ever gone down that road."

Trent's chair was right next to his, their knees almost bumping as Trent said, "It doesn't sound like you're exactly opposed to the idea either though."

Ted said he'd never done anything with a man, it didn't mean that he hadn't considered it once or twice.

Swallowing, Ted gave a bit of a shrug, and then let out a nervous laugh, "Hah, well, I mean…"

Voice softer than before, and holding eye contact with the coach once he'd obtained it, Trent put forward an idea, "Maybe you should try it, you might find what you've been looking for."

Oh boy, when did Trent get so close? Had his lips always been that full and…? Ted swallowed again, having felt the air shift around them when Trent had rested a palm on his knee.

When he felt somewhat confident in his ability to speak, Ted whispered, "Well, I, uh, I think that might be a fine idea."

And then, oh! Trent's lips were just as lush and kissable as they seemed. Ted wasn't even startled by the suddenness of it all, he just instantly melted as Trent kissed him. It was tender, breathtaking, but tame, a tester, a teaser, a preview of what this path had to offer.

In the brief moments Ted had ever considered what it would be like to kiss a man, never had he imagined it to be so…so…exhilarating, so passionate, so right. It was so much better than fine, blew fine right out of the dictionary, it might have been the best first kiss of his life, and hot damn did it leave him wanting more.

Ted's eye lids fluttered open as Trent pulled away – he didn't even recall closing them – a knowing smile tugged at glistening lips, his eyes absolutely sparkling.

"So…was it just fine?" Trent asked smugly.

Ted was either about to tell him just how good it was and likely kiss Trent again, or his brain was about to add this new information that he might be having a bisexual awakening to the whirlpool in his mind and send him spiralling again. He didn't get the chance to find out which though because the moment was broken by a very distinct voice.

"Ugh! Get a room, ay."

"Jamie?" Ted froze in horror.

A million things ran through his brain at once, mostly leading back to the fact that one of his players had caught him in the middle of discovering that he might be bisexual, in his work office, with Trent Crimm. Which he wasn't sure of Trent's intentions at all either, whether it just a 'here, see if you might like men' kiss, or did he just want to kiss Ted, or were there deeper feelings at play?

Jamie came to the door of the office, "Sorry, Coach, didn't mean to give ya a fright ay, just forgot me wallet. Anyway, I'll be off, have a good night."

Jamie waggled his eyebrows at them both with a toothy grinned and then pranced out of the locker room.

Ted remembered that his body required oxygen and as he inhaled he seemed to thaw out. His gaze snapped to Trent who appeared far calmer than him, then he blinked back to the empty doorway. He repeated the action two more times before his body caught up with his brain and he sprung into motion.

"Shoot," Ted cried as he scrambled out of his chair, calling after Jamie while he sped down the same hall the football star had disappeared down.

"Ted?!" he heard Trent's troubled voice from behind him, but he'd have to deal with that a bit later, right now he needed damage control, and fast before Jamie told anyone what he saw.

"Yeah, Coach?" Jamie turned around to face Ted as he approached.

"Uh, can we talk, just real quick?" Ted asked anxiously, already opening the door to the nearest room – the boot room, as it turned out, fitting since it seemed to be the club's room for serious talk.

"Well, I was…" Jamie looked and gestured down the hall, then started into the boot room, "yeah, no worries."

Jamie sat down on the bench seat in front of the rows of boots, and Ted joined him after leaving the door ajar to help alleviate the smell, it wasn't like there was anyone else around besides Trent and he was part of this whole thing.

The silence was heavy in the room, Jamie fidgeted with his jacket zipper, and Ted clasped and unclasped his hands several times before clearing his throat.

"Ahem, so, uh, what you saw…just now…I know it was surprising, I was mighty surprised, but I'm, uh, figuring some things out, and that might involve-"

"I don't care who you're snogging, Coach," Jamie interrupted.

"It kind of seemed like you minded a few minutes ago, Jamie," Ted pointed out, recalling Jamie's reaction in his mind.

"Nah, Coach, you misunderstood," the footballer told him earnestly, "see, I ain't got nothin' against homosexuals, and if you and Trent wanna be together, that's all good wif me, but it's a bit like watching ya mum and dad kiss, innit? Like you're happy that they love each other, but it kinda grosses you out cause they're your parents…you get me?"

Oh. It warmed his heart a little to know that Jamie considered him on the same level as parental figure. He had been too caught up in the whole situation to even consider that it was just the usual locker room banter.

"Thanks, Jamie. Sorry about the misunderstanding," Ted gave him a small, but genuine smile.

Jamie waved it off, "Don't worry about it, Coach, it's all poopeh, innit?"

That made Ted chuckle, "Ha. Yeah. But, hey, can we just keep this between us for now?"

"'Course, me lips are sealed," he made the motion of zipping his lips shut with his thumb and forefinger.

Relief flooded Ted's body, "I appreciate it, just, this is really new, as in tonight new, and I haven't figured any of it out yet. And uh, I don't know what Trent wants from this either, it just sort of happened…"

"You'll figure it out, Coach, and Trent's a good guy. Maybe you should just go for it, ay," Jamie nudged Ted with his elbow gently, clicking his tongue and winking, "ain't no doubt you'd have everyone's support here."

Ted stared at the footballer like he'd never seen him before, and it eased something deep within him to hear that, especially from Jamie, who he'd taken a shine to from day one.

"Anyway, if we're all good, Coach, I actually got a thing I'm supposed to be at…" Jamie motioned toward the car park with a jerk of his thumb.

"Oh, yeah, yeah, of course. Sorry to hold you up, and thank you, really," Ted stood with him, and moved toward the exit.

"Anytime, see ya tomorrow," and with a two finger salute he was out the door, "catch ya, Trent," he farewelled said man out in the hall.

Ted had barely five seconds to process their conversation before he was met at the door to the boot room by the journalist himself.

"You know, I thought I had made it pretty clear what I wanted when I kissed you…" Trent informed him softly, an affectionate smile tugging at his lips. Lips that Ted had felt against his own mere minutes ago.

Ted felt the heat in his cheeks and knew he was blushing, "Oh," he smiled sheepishly at Trent's chest.

A single digit tilted his chin up to meet Trent's dark eyes, the atmosphere growing between them the longer they stared into each other's eyes.

Ted had just been working up the courage the lean in and reconnect their mouths when Trent's finger slipped from his chin, his confident smile falling with it.

"Perhaps we should head home, it is getting late after all," Trent announced, straightening and tucking his hair behind an ear, "and I'd hazard a guess that you have a lot to process."

Fudge.

Ted nodded in agreement, trying to disguise his disappointment with fatigue as they headed back down the hall to the offices to collect their belongings.

Trent was right, he did have a lot to process, heck his head had already been full of swirling thoughts, and now he had 'probably interested in men' to contend with as well. It wasn't that he had a problem with being bisexual, but it would likely take him a hot minute to get used to the fact, especially since that wasn't the kind of self-discovery that he thought he'd be making in his forties.

Back in the office, Ted just sort of stood at his desk, the void already trying to draw him back in, whereas Trent picked up his bag from the floor and sat it on the edge of Ted's desk while he returned the chair he'd borrowed from Beard's side.

Trent cleared his throat, and Ted realised that he was waiting for the coach to gather his belongings, but Ted's mind was busy remembering how fantastic kissing Trent had been.

"Um, Ted?"

Eyes flicking to Trent, Ted came to the sudden conclusion that he may need time to process his life as a whole, but what he didn't need to contemplate was whether or not he wanted to kiss Trent Crimm again.

"Look, I should probably apologise, I shouldn't have-mmmff," Trent was abruptly cut off by Ted kissing him hungrily.

His hands slid into Trent's luscious locks, fingers tangling there, as Trent's hands – tentatively at first – found their way to Ted's waist. A foreign confidence found Ted, and his tongue flicked against those sweet lips, seeking permission to deepen the kiss. Trent's mouth opened to him immediately, a surprisingly sexy little moan vibrated in Trent's throat as Ted's tongue slipped in and caressed the Brit's. That sound translated into a sharp heat that cut directly through his body making him shudder.

Holy smokes.

Trent pressed in closer as they continued kissing feverishly, and it wasn't long before Ted was crowded against his desk, his chair flung back against the wall behind them. The desk dug into the mounds of his ass though, so the next time there was a brief pause for air in their make out session, Ted gracefully – as graceful as a man of his physic and poise could – hopped up to sit on the desk. Unfortunately, the movement separated their mouths far more than Ted wanted them to be, so he reached out and pulled the other man back into him by his Dolly shirt.

"Oofftt," Trent gasped, a little surprised at being manhandled.

This time Trent's hands planted on the desk either side of Ted's hips, stabilising him as Ted pulled him in and hooked his legs around Trent's. As soon as their faces were close again, Ted licked his way back into Trent's mouth, almost desperately, as if he were chasing something that he'd been after his entire life, and only just now had found it.

Mind blissfully empty of all thoughts, except for how spectacular it was to kiss the fella in front of him, Ted pulled Trent tighter against him like he couldn't get enough of the man – he couldn't – and moaned into Trent's mouth. Trent was nestled right up between Ted's legs, and if Ted had needed any more evidence that he was most certainly bisexual, well he had a solid erection in his khakis, and was thoroughly enjoying rubbing it against the stiff heat he felt in Trent's trousers.

"Shit," Trent was breathless, his head tilted back slightly, eyelids fluttering, mouth parted as he panted, "Are you-ah-are you sure this is okay?"

"To do here? Not at all…" Ted told him, nipping at his bottom lip, "remind me to erase the camera footage later," he added.

"Not what I was asking."

Ted pressed open mouthed kisses to Trent's smooth jaw before answering the real question, "Trent, just because the ol' brain took four decades to figure this out don't mean that I ain't into it with every fibre of my being."

"Had to check, didn't want you to freak out after I make you come in your pants," the journalist explained huskily, capturing Ted's lips in his own again once he had finished speaking.

Ted made a noise that was closer to a whimper than a moan, and that was when they really started to writhe against each other. It was discovered that the Brit had quite the pert ass when Ted's hands found their way there to help Trent to rub against him harder, faster.

It was all such a new experience to Ted, having spent most of his – rather vanilla and heterosexual - sexually active life with one person. What he was doing there and then with Trent though was thrilling, and exciting in more than one way. He hadn't expected to embrace this so quickly, and so wholeheartedly, but dang, he wasn't sure he'd ever felt like this before.

There'd be time to think about it all more in depth later, there wasn't a lot of blood in his brain at that point in time anyway. Not that he'd be able to think properly with the way Trent was kissing him, regardless of the placement of blood in his body. One thought did make it's way through though; he wanted to be kissed that passionately every day of his life, and felt pretty certain that he wanted it to be Trent Crimm kissing him that way.

"Uhh-uh-uhnn, Trent…"

Their kisses had become a little wet and sloppy as their moans and breathing had increased. Ted was so hard in his pants, the friction felt incredible, so stimulating it was simultaneously too much and not enough as he chased bliss. If he'd had any concerns about not finishing like that though, well, Trent fixed that.

"God, I'm so-so close," Trent groaned breathily. Ted could feel his hot breath on his face, and it felt extraordinarily intimate, and then the journalist lowered his mouth to Ted's ear, "Let me see you come, Ted, come for me."

Words entered his ear, but it was flames that licked down his spine and pulled the trigger on his orgasm, making him spill seemingly endlessly into his underwear with a loud cry.

Ted's fingers continued to bruise Trent's hips while the journalist followed him into bliss moments later, moaning deeply, eyes tightly closed. They stayed there also while the pair recovered – leaned against each other, and kissed some more between greedily inhaling air - only finally letting go when Trent detached them at the hips.

Ted licked his lips, tickling his moustache, "Mmm, how do you taste so fudgin' divine?" he asked incredulously, his accent coming through thicker post orgasm, "I'm not sure I'm gonna be able to last til the end of each work day to kiss you, no siree, not knowin' you're only in the next office, with your gorgeous hair, and adorable smile on those stupidly kissable lips."

Trent raised an eyebrow, a smirk set on said lips, "This is going to be a regular thing then I take it?"

If Ted's cheeks could've gotten rosier at that moment they would have, "Was, uh, was that not what you meant you wanted earlier?" his eyes darted to the floor and then back up anxiously, suddenly wondering if he'd misread the whole situation.

"Oh, no, it was," Trent assured him quickly, "I suppose I just didn't expect to succeed in obtaining it."

Understanding – and a wave of relief – washed over him, "Well, in that case, darlin', I'm yours," he smiled openly.

Trent blinked once, twice, and then cupped the back of Ted's neck and crushed their mouths together in a passionate kiss. After a minute though, Trent pulled back enough to gaze into Ted's eyes.

"Not just settling for fine this time?" there was something vulnerable in Trent's voice.

Ted shook his head, and affectionately tucked a lock of hair behind Trent's ear, "Trent Crimm, there ain't one darn thing about you that is just fine, you're far better than fine. Trust me."

There was that adorable smile, coupled with those twinkling eyes, "I do," he confessed softly.

And Ted had to kiss him again.