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English
Series:
Part 1 of haven't met you yet
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Published:
2023-05-05
Completed:
2023-08-25
Words:
68,232
Chapters:
15/15
Comments:
524
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1,027
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27,847

haven't met you yet

Summary:

Ted sends one text message to the wrong number. Against all odds, Rebecca replies.

Notes:

ok! we’re in it now! i’ve been dying to read something like this for tedbecca, since one of my favorite fic ever was written in this format - and is, of course, huge inspiration to this one. back when the glee fandom was still a thing, there was this klaine fic called “little numbers”, and that was the blueprint for this format in all fandoms tbh. so! that being said, this is a adaptation of that story for ted and rebecca, if i may. some things i kept the same, for the sake of the magical story they published so long ago - some things i changed for tedbecca realness. ALL credit and kuddos to iknowitainteasy on livejournal for coming up with this lovely romcom coded fic! the tuesdays, the missions, the dog - they did it all first. this is just me redoing all of that and bringing tedbecca to this lovely plot!

this is an AU. ted and rebecca meet through a wrong text message. that being said, i’ll try my best to reference canon stuff between the lines. try to read rebecca in this as season 3 rebecca, and not the rebecca that got to meet ted lasso on season one. do that and hopefully won’t feel too much ooc.

ted is standard text, rebecca is always in italic.

enjoy!

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Chapter 1

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Wed 1 May (1:34pm)

Oh boy. Can we reschedule our lunch meeting? Got pee drops on my khakis again. I know. Don’t ask. Dinner later? My treat.

 

(1:35)

Who the fuck is this? Why do we have a meeting? And, most importantly, did you seriously fucking pee your pants? 

 

(1:37)

God, sorry! New phone, wrong number! Please forget you read this.

 

(1:38)

You’re seriously not telling me how you managed to pee yourself while standing in the bathroom, huh? Come on. The information is already out there.

 

(1:39)

You’re oddly interested in this part of the story for someone I don’t know. And how do you know I was standin’?

 

(1:41)

You peed yourself. You must be a man. Usually is the bunch that comes with the stupidity.

 

(1:42)

Actually. You’re right. 

 

(1:45)

Usually am.

(1:46)

So? Is that what happened? Just a yes or no question.

 

(1:50)

You’re asking too many questions for a stranger.

 

(1:51)

You were the one to text me first. Besides, I’m bored.

 

(1:53)

Sorry about that again! Bummer to hear how bored you are, but I gotta run. Change of clothes and all that. Nice chatting with you, stranger!

 

(1:55)

Meh. You could’ve been my one entertainment for today. Good luck with them pants, pee-pee man.

 

Wed 8 May (1:24pm)

It’s actually pretty common for grown men to wet their pants while using the bathroom. I Googled. Nothing to be ashamed about.

 

(1:26)

…Who is this?

 

(1:27)

Wrong number from last week.

 

(1:28)

Stranger! Bored again?

 

(1:29)

See. You do remember me.

 

(1:31)

Never said I didn’t. 

(1:31)

Same day and time as last week, huh.

 

(1:33)

Yes. It’s called “weekly work meeting”.

 

(1:35)

Shouldn’t you be paying attention?

 

(1:37)

Already know all this. Big numbers, this much in profit, lawyers will be in touch, blah blah blah. Nothing new. 

 

(1:38)

Sounds like a serious job.

 

(1:39)

Nothing serious about grown men kicking a ball.

 

(1:40)

Dang, your job involves soccer?!

 

(1:41)

Football.

 

(1:42)

So you’re British, huh. 

 

(1:43)

This is a phone number registered in London area. What did you expect? 

(1:44)

Something tells me you’re not from this land. 

 

(1:45)

I’ll give you two hints: sparklin’ red shoes and a dog named Toto.

 

(1:46)

Gross. 

 

(1:47)

C’mon now. 

(1:48)

Hey, you work with Beckham?

 

(1:49)

That’s confidential. But no.

 

(1:50)

Too bad. Was hoping maybe you’d ‘wannabe’ my next step to the Spice Girls. Ha!

 

(1:51)

You’re weird.

 

(1:52)

You’re the one who keeps talkin’ to me.

 

(1:53)

And you keep replying.

 

(1:55)

Should I change my phone number? You one of those stalkers Scream 1, 2, 3 style that comes in the middle of the night with a knife askin’ what’s my favorite scary movie?

 

(1:56)

God. Should I change *my* number? That’s oddly specific. 

(1:57)

There’s more Scream movies than that by now. 

 

(1:57)

Couldn’t keep up. First three scared me for life. It was like watching the news channel. 

 

(1:57)

Scream is not scary. The Exorcist is scary. 

(1:58)

But people who pee on themselves and text about it afterwards scare me more.

 

(2:00)

Heck, let this piece of information die already.

 

(2:05)

You’ve got 5 minutes left.

 

(2:05)

What for?

 

(2:06)

The end of my meeting.

 

(2:06)

Oh. Your meeting with Harry Kane.

 

(2:07)

You Googled that name, didn’t you?

 

(2:07)

Oh yes.

(2:07)

Ted.

 

(2:08)

…Drake? Dead footballer from last century?

 

(2:08)

What? No. My name is Ted.

 

(2:09)

Ok, why not.

 

(2:10)

…Aaaand now it’s the part where you tell me your name back.

(2:12)

Really?

(2:13)

Now that’s a mean move! Definitely something crazy stalker from Scream would do!

 

(2:15)

See you this time around next week, Ted!

 

(2:16)

And you say I’m the weird one.

 

Wed 17 May (1:45pm)

Ted.

(1:45)

Teeeed.

(1:46)

What is Ted short for? Edward?

 

(1:50)

Theodore.

 

(1:51)

Theodoreeee.

 

(1:55)

Do you just like my name or do you need somethin’?

 

(1:57)

Why do you keep eating your ‘g’s?

 

(1:58)

Huh?

 

(1:59)

Somethin’? 

 

(2:01)

Like I said, American.

 

(2:04)

If you’re American, why is your STD code registered in the London area?

 

(2:06)

Now that’s just giving too much about myself. 

 

(2:07)

Again, not a killer. 

 

(2:08)

Sure. 

 

(2:10)

Someone’s grumpy today.

(2:11)

What happened? Did you pee your pants again? 

 

(2:13)

We’re still doin’ this?

 

(2:15)

Starting where we left off last week. 

 

(2:17)

I’m really not in the mood today.

 

(2:18)

Want to share? 

 

(2:20)

I though you were in the sport biz, not psychology. 

 

(2:22)

I heard talking to strangers might help. 

 

(2:24)

I’m not into that. 

 

(2:28)

Rebecca.

 

(2:30)

Excuse me?

 

(2:31)

My name.

 

(2:32)

Ok, why not.

 

(2:34)

Ha. You think you’re so clever. 

(2:35)

Now we’re not strangers anymore. Go on. 

 

(2:37)

Lots of Rebeccas I don’t know. Still a stranger. 

 

(2:40)

Ted.

 

(2:44)

Could you just focus on your own activities for once and stop using me for distraction? 

 

(2:50)

Ok. 

(2:51)

Sorry for bothering you. 

 

 

Wed 24 May (1:00pm)

Hey, Rebecca. I want to apologize about last week. I don’t want to make any excuses, there’s none. Not to being that much of a $#%@&head. Wasn’t on my best state of mind. I’m truly sorry. Can we try again?

 

(1:05)

Who is this?

 

(1:07)

You go on texting other people Wednesday afternoons? I thought that was our thing! 

 

(1:10)

Do we have a thing?

 

(1:12)

Now we do. 

 

(1:15)

So?

 

(1:16)

Shoot. 

 

(1:18)

About last week. 

 

(1:20)

Oh. Yeah. Crappy week. 

 

(1:22)

Can I say the offer still stands or will you snap at me again?

 

(1:25)

Do we really wanna do that?

 

(1:26)

Do what?

 

(1:28)

Details. Personal stuff. Real life feelings. 

 

(1:30)

Ted.

 

(1:31)

Rebecca. 

 

(1:33)

Why do you keep texting me?

 

(1:34)

You keep texting me!

 

(1:36)

Oh, for God’s sake. The he-said, she-said it’s getting annoying. You came back and started it again today. Why? 

 

(1:39)

Well, I don’t know that, do I!

 

(1:40)

Lovely.

 

(1:50)

Dang it. Listen. I miss home. Been livin’ in England for the past couple of months and I miss the familiarity of knowing how roads work and bein’ sure if it’s gonna rain or not. I’m in charge of a job I don’t understand. I’ve been having panic attacks as y’all have tea and it’s hell when you’re alone to deal with the aftershock. 

(1:52)

Also, last week, that very same Wednesday, was the day I signed my divorce papers. 

(1:53)

Is that what you wanna talk about? 

(1:59)

I’m sorry. Shouldn’t have thrown it all at you like this. 

 

(2:00)

You were betrayed. 

 

(2:02)

What?

 

(2:04)

By the jiggle. You know. I heard men jiggle to prevent themselves from going out with pee drops on pants, but sometimes you trust too freely and forget to check. So I heard. Was that what happened? 

(2:05)

Sorry. That was an inappropriate time to try and make a joke. 

 

(2:07)

Thank you. 

 

(2:10)

For apologizing?

 

(2:13)

For making me smile. I like jokes. 

 

(2:15)

😊

 

(2:16)

Woah, is that an emoji? Are you an emoji user?!

 

(2:18)

Can’t help if I become unserious when I’m nervous. 

 

(2:19)

Nervous, huh? 

 

(2:20)

Shut up. 

 

(2:21)

Aaaand there she is! Back in the game! 

 

(2:22)

Have to go. Duty calls. 

(2:23)

Next week?

 

(2:24)

Can’t wait. 🤠





Notes:

find me on twitter @thelassos :)