this is just a space for me to abuse commas and glaze all the incredible fic authors on here. i literally have no idea what i'm doing. vibes are through the roof *pans to the ceiling.*
fyi:
anything i write is completely fiction.
i'll only ever write pazzi, no paige or azzi x reader, definitely not pazzi x reader. (maybe some williannès if i get the inkling.) (evidently some women's cricket too. someone tell 2024 me she's writing for smriti mandhana now.)
i will not write smut. don't ask me to. none of us want that, trust me.
do not ever let me start a series. i won't finish it, and then everybody will be upset, including me. let's just avoid it entirely.
i'll take requests or if you just wanna say hi, please do. i love to chat.
my main blog is @infinityinakiss, i like and follow from over there. it's also where i do most of my non-fic, wbb and wc related yapping.
racists, homophobes, xenophobes, fever fans, and minors dni.
if you say anything disrespectful, i will not hesitate to block. i will delete this entire blog in two seconds if i have to. do not play with me.
pairing: paige x azzi
au: paranormal au
synopsis: paige finally finds the courage to talk to the cute stranger she sees every afternoon on the bus, only to discover that she's the only one who can see her.
wc: 2k
ACT I â PAIGE
There wasnât really any serious attempt to keep the noises down once Paige and her teammates piled onto the bus.
The moment the doors folded shut behind them, the whole vehicle seemed to feel like an amusement park full of kids. Conversations were ricocheting through the aisle from three different directions. KK was already halfway through a story she had probably shared five times before, judging by Amaya and Sarahâs collective groans.
The bus driver didnât even bother glancing back. He probably had heard it a few more times as well, considering how frequent these girls ride his bus.
Paige boarded last, slipping through the narrow gap just before the doors closed. When KK didnât sit right away, blocking any movement in the aisle, Paige pushed her aside playfully.
There was a theatrical complaint from the younger girl, but Paige just laughed and kept moving.
The front of the bus was already occupied by her six friends and an assortment of weary passengers. Paige decided it was nice to sit at the back for a change.
They had been riding the same bus every day since the start of summer four weeks ago. Paige was over the moon with the fact that none of her closest friends in the team had summer plans with their families. It was what she had hoped for, spending the last summer together before senior year.
There was so much to do in General City anyway, which was a thirty-minute bus ride from Hopkins. And they had been going there every afternoon.
Yesterday, they wasted too much money playing arcade games. Nika felt strongly against the claw machine and was complaining the whole ride home that it was rigged and that her father would kill her if he knew the money he sent from Croatia was spent trying to get a weird looking stuffed animal.
The other day, they felt like doing something academic and went to the General City Science Museum. Rickea met a young tourist boy from Italy, and they spent twenty minutes flirting in front of an enclosed set of dinosaur bones. Jana had to drag her away so they could move on to the planetarium.
Today had a different current running through their veins. The Minnesota Lynx were playing against the Las Vegas Aces, and Paige and her friends were on their way to the General City Arena to watch the game. The Lynx had not beaten the Aces this season, a fact that had gotten the group of friends all hyped up.
Paige heard KK and Nika arguing over the starting line ups for the Lynx. It would be a long bus ride with all their energy. She shook her head and continued on her way toward the back of the bus.
She was halfway to the back when a face she didnât recognize caught her attention.
The stranger sat two rows from the back window with a paperback balanced in one hand, seemingly untouched by the commotion in front. She looked out of place in a way Paige couldnât define.
She found herself staring at the beautiful stranger as the bus pushed its way to General City.
The girl looked ethereal and delicate with the afternoon sun cast down on her face through the window. She had wired earphones in her ears.
Paige watched her take a breather from her book and glanced outside. Her side profile was immaculate. Paige had to hold on to the nearest seat for support. She literally felt her knees getting weak with the pristine beauty of this stranger.
There was another loud yelling from KK, and the girl moved her attention toward Paigeâs friends, making Paige panic as she quicky drop into the seat she had been holding. The movement was so sudden that she had to whisper an apology to the old man next to her. He just grunted and continued reading his newspaper.
There wasnât enough time to know if the girl saw her, but Paige tried to sneak a peek behind her. Luckily, the girl went back to reading.
KK and Sarah had been at each otherâs throats before any of them even reached the bus stop. And Nika being Nika, had treated the disagreement as free entertainment. Paige never knew what and where it started.
When the city bus rolled to a stop and the doors opeened, KK didnât think twice and jumped into the bus like she couldnât wait to be away from Sarah and the rest of the group.
Paige boarded last, as always. She sighed as she passed a bickering Sarah and Nika.
âWhy wouldn't you just let it go?â Sarah raised an eyebrow at Nika. âNow, sheâs even more mad at me because you couldnât stop making a fuss about it.â
The Croatian girl looked delighted by the accusation.
âAnd missed the opportunity to make KK shut the hell up for the whole ride to the city? Whereâs the fun in that?â Nika laughed.
Paige tuned out their conversation as she walked down the aisle. She saw KK at the back of the bus, grumpy and probably close to tears. She considered taking the empty seat beside her before deciding against it. She would let KK be alone this time.
As Paige took another step, her eyes found the girl from yesterday, occupying the same seat two rows from the back. Her eyes were closed, her head resting lightly against the glass while a pair of wired earphones disappeared beneath the fall of her beautiful black curls.
The sight instantly snagged Paigeâs breath. She wasnât expecting to see the girl again. She panicked internally and didnât think twice about taking the nearest empty seat before the girl could open her eyes and look at her.
As the bus rumbled forward, Paige slowly glanced over her shoulder. The girl still appeared disconnected from the rest of what was happening on the bus. She looked asleep, though perhaps she was probably just simply listening to music and avoiding everyone around her. Paige could hardly blame her for that. Nikaâs voice was starting to fill the whole vehicle.
Paige kept her eyes on the girl, albeit awkward with the angle where she sat, but it didnât stop her from fully staring at her.
Was she new to Hopkins?
Paige liked to think she would remember seeing someone like her before. The girl looked like she was around her age, maybe within a year or two at most.
Or was she from General City and was visiting Hopkins two days in a row?
A lot of questions ran in Paigeâs head as tried to find a better angle without breaking her neck. She saw the girl stir as she adjusted herself on her seat, eyes still closed.
A smile tugged at Paigeâs mouth before she realized it.
The girl looked comfortable, peaceful even, and Paige lacked the nerve to interrupt that for the sake of satisfying her own curiosity. If she were lucky, maybe they would ride the same bus the next day.
And maybe she would have the guts to sit down and talk to her.
Paige was so occupied with looking at the resting girl that she completely missed the way KK had been watching her for the last several minutes.
Paige tried to calm down as she sat three rows in front of the girl.
Her crush.
It was a little fulfilling to admit she had a crush on this stranger. She was not going to dissolve just because there was a pretty girl with beautiful eyes and luscious black curls cascading on her gorgeous facial features.
Paige needed to talk to her today. She was afraid the girl might not show up tomorrow, might change her route, or simply she might never see her again.
She felt an elbow dug into her ribs, and she snapped her eyes to the person beside her.
âWhat are you doing, P?â KK whispered.
âNothing.â Paigeâs hands tightened in her lap, fingers pressing together until the skin went extra pale. There was a fine sheen of sweat gathered along the side of her forehead. The July summer heat was really hitting them hard today.
âWhy the hell are you fidgeting?â KK narrowed her eyes, looking at Paige in amusement and a little worried.
âI donât even know what youâre talking about.â Paige mumbled.
KK leaned back an inch, assessing her friend, smelling something hidden. âYou were like this yesterday too. Staring a couple rows down like you didnât have your own window seat. What got you all dreamy?â
Paigeâs stomach dropped. Apparently, she had been caught, but it was fortunate KK didnât see or know who she was looking at.
But KK was a determined menace, and she shifted on her seat, craning her neck to get a good look at where Paige was always looking.
Window seat, two rows from the back, right side of the bus.
âDonât!â Paige hissed.
She quicly pulled KK down with her shirt, the younger girl nearly collided on her face. Paige wished they didnât cost any noise or disruption to warrant any attention. The last thing she would like was for her crush to look at them.
âJust donât.â Paige warned.
âOkay. Okay.â KK shifted again, finding a comfortable position to study Paige. âAt least tell me what it is?â
âAnd have you share it to the whole squad? I donât think so.â
âI promise I wonât tell anyone. Besides, Sarah is still being a jerk, and Kea and Jana are taking her side. Nikaâs also being an ass too.â
Paige was too focused on her crush that she didnât notice her friends were still waging an ongoing disagreement. She felt shitty and vaguely guilty.
Crush later, friend now.
She gave KK an earnest smile and ditched the idea of talking to the girl. After all, if fate had gone through the trouble of putting them on the same bus three days in a row, surely it could manage a fourth.
âDid your dad give you some extra money for Pokemon cards?â Paige asekd. âI heard Grand Hobbyâs getting a new stock delivered. We can check it out later after the game.â
Paige muttered a curse beneath her breath and shoved her earbuds into her ears, even though there wasnât any music playing through them.
Apparently, her friends all made up and were now terrorizing the whole city bus with their jokes and excessive laughter. KK and Sarah were back to being seatmates, talking like they werenât about to strangle one antoher the other day.
Paige rolled her eyes and moved toward the back of the bus.
And there she was. The object of Paigeâs increasingly inconvenient fascination for the past four days, resting her cheek against the faded upholstery of her seat, looking out at the blur of the passing streets.
She looked radiant and innocent as the afternoon sunlight filtered through the glass in irregular intervals, briefly illuminating the curve of her profile.
This was it!
Paige calmed her nerves down and slowly trudged her way to where the girl was sitting. Luckily, there was no one sitting beside her. Actually, no one had taken the seat beside the girl ever since Paige noticed her.
Paige tried to be subtle and nonchalant as she lowered herself into the vacant seat. There was no movement from the girl, no way to acknowledge Paige sat beside her. She continued watching the trees and houses outside.
Paige took a deep breath and glanced at her. She couldnât see much of the girlâs face since half of her back was facing toward her. Paige didnât know if this was a good thing or not.
Her gaze slowly drifted toward the window, catching the faint reflection of both their faces against the glass whenever the angle of the sunlight shifted.
At first, the girlâs expression remained distant and thoughtful. Then her eyes locked in on Paige from the reflection.
Paige saw how her eyes widened in surprise and horror as the girl jolted in her seat. She frantically bolted up right and faced Paige in a haste.
âIâm sorry. I didnât mean to scare you.â Paige panicked, not knowing what to do with those scared brown eyes.
The other girl stayed silent, inching closer to the window, hands gripping her bag on her lap.
âI donât mean to be a creep, but I noticed you four days ago, and I usually know most of the people in Hopkins. Youâre kind of a new face. And I just want to come over and say Hi and talk to you.â
The girl only stared at her.
Up front, Paige could see how gorgeous her brown eyes were, framed by thick lashes.. They were warmer than sheâd expected. There was a soft flush lingering across her cheeks, probably from the light make-up she had on. The afternoon sunlight lent a muted radiance on her brown skin that made it impossible for Paige to look anywhere else.
She was beautiful. Really, utterly downright beautiful.
But she kept staring at Paige.
âRight.â Paige forcing out a small smile. âThis is embarrassing. Iâm sorry again. Iâll move back to my friends now and leave you alone. Have a good rest of your afternoon.â
Before Paige could stand up, the girl shifted on her seat. âWait!â
Paige gave her a questioning look.
The girl tried to find the right words as she cleared her throat. She ended up blurting the last thing Paige could ever thought of.
to the people who said âthis except alcoholâ: i support you & your sobriety/preference for other substances. i hope all goes well and you have the best summer ever.
to the few people who said âthis except rpfâ: sorry this isnât about you. this post is for real rpfers only and if you canât get behind that then you arenât invited to the BDY summer plans
deliverydriver!paige bueckers x businesswoman!azzi fudd
wc: 8.3k [ao3 link]
contains: fluff, useless lesbians
summary: paige and azzi both live and work in dallas. paige is an amazon delivery driver. azzi is desperate for her attention.
a/n: hi so basically this is paige is delivery driver and azzi keeps ordering shit to see her. this got suggested to me a little bit ago by @solieloveswbb and i thought the idea was rlly funny and rlly cute so i wrote it!! hope u all enjoy
Azzi likes Dallas. She really does. Growing up in Virginia didnât really give her a great idea of what a big city would be like. Neither did getting her MBA in Connecticut. But sheâs living here now and she thinks sheâs really hit her stride. Sheâs made friends out of her neighbors and is steadily making her way up the company she works for and has a house she shares with her best friend. It might be small, and she might not really own it, but itâs a house. She likes it.
âCarol,â Azzi whines from the kitchen table. Sheâs sitting in front of her MacBook, one of her knees drawn up to her chest, frowning as she traces quick circles on the mousepad and is only met with a loading screen. Her feet are bare and she curls her toes around the edge of her seat. âWhy is the internet not working? Is it down or did you kick the router again?â
She can hear Caroline scoff from the living room, the two girls only separated by a little bit of space. She looks up. She can see the television and the back of the couch from where she sits. Caroline is sitting on it, head of sleek brown hair facing her. âI donât get why you ask that every time, I literally kicked it once. It was an accident.â The clicking of her video game controller finds Azzi, who rolls her eyes from under the thick lenses of her glasses.
She looks down at her laptop again. The morning sun is shining down on her through the large window that yawns behind her and it casts her own shadow lightly onto the screen. She can see the slope of her shoulders, the bag of her sleep shirt she had cut the hem off of in college, the mess of a bun her hair is collected in on top of her scalp. âThat shit was not an accident, you were aiming for it.â
âNo, I was aiming around Jana. The router was just in the way of my aim.â Azzi wrinkles her nose at this, looking up again at her best friend. The girl is still too caught up playing video games to make real eye contact with Azzi, who just scowls at her from the table.
âThe router is more important than a goal. This is why youâre not allowed to play soccer in the house anymore.â
Caroline makes another noise of disbelief. Azziâs laptop starts loading again. She looks down at it expectantly, willing the document sheâs trying to download to download faster. Her WiFi symbol has an exclamation mark over it, warning her that itâs not doing too well. âHey, this is a âweâ thing, Azzi. Neither of us are allowed to play it anymore.â She sighs and scratches her shin. Looks up at the television just in time to watch as Carolineâs game freezes, controller still clicking as she tries to mash the buttons to get it to work. Smiles a little at the absurdity of it. Caroline swears under her breath. âYeah, I think itâs just really slow right now. It always gets slow when you open your Mac. You have too many documents open on it.â
Azzi rolls her eyes at this. ââm tracking things for my big girl job. Youâre playing Fortnite right now. I feel like one of us should have priority over the other.â The downloading button disappears. Azzi runs her finger around her mousepad again and then tries to open her downloads. The screen pauses again. Her cursor turns into a multicolor circle. It spins at her. She fights the urge to groan.
âYeah, and Iâm literally two kills from winning, so I think my Victory Royale is currently more important.â Azzi squints at her laptop at the certainty in Carolineâs voice. It stays still in front of her. She can hear Carolineâs game pausing itself again.
âBro,â she mutters under her breath. Caroline either doesnât hear her or ignores her, because she doesnât respond to the word. Azziâs brows furrow. She scratches her knee. She can feel her nails dragging a little too harshly against the skin there, is sure there will be reddened lines pressing into her when sheâs done. Caroline groans from the couch. Azzi looks up and sees that sheâs dead, screen dimming. She laughs. âAnd you fucking sold. Who has priority now?â
Caroline groans again. âWhatever, fuck you.â She raises her arms above her head to stretch out her back, falling sideways onto the couch. The cushions accept her weight with a soft sound. The television stays on, much to Azziâs annoyance, but she says nothing. Just continues to wait in silence for her MacBook to load. Quiet noises she can only describe as Fortnite ambience fill the space between her and her best friend.
The doorbell rings. The sound startles Azzi into looking up from her laptop. The door is tucked into the foyer, which is right between where Caroline is sitting in the living room and Azzi is sitting in the kitchen. Itâs a Saturday morning. Neither of them are out of their pajamas. âNot it,â Caroline immediately calls from the couch. She shoots an arm up, pointer finger up towards the ceiling. âI opened it for the electrician last week and talked to him the whole time. That counts for, like, at least four times of you checking the door.â
Azzi groans from the kitchen table. âNo, Carol, âm not wearing a bra, you gotta get it,â she says, crossing her arms over her chest as if to hide herself from the person at the door they havenât even answered yet. Caroline grunts in protest. She doesnât move at all. Azzi doesnât either. She sits there, waiting, squinting at the other girlâs arm. When a few moments pass and neither of them have moved, Azzi gets up out of her chair and grumbles wordlessly at her. Caroline laughs.
Azziâs bare feet pad against the wooden floors as she walks to the front door. She keeps her hands crossed over her chest, trying to coax her annoyance away from her face. She really hopes no one is actually at the door and that she can just bend down and grab a package or something. She doesnât know who would even be at her door. Two girls in their mid twenties donât attract many random visitors.
She gets to the door and sees a sleeved arm in the thin window next to it. Internally, she groans again. Someone actually is there. Sheâll just have to hope itâs some random delivery driver sheâll never have to see again. Azzi crosses one arm over her chest to hopefully hide the peaks of her nipples poking at the thin fabric of her shirt and reaches out for the doorknob. She pulls the door open.
The woman standing on her front porch when she opens the door is the most beautiful one Azzi thinks sheâs ever seen. Her stomach drops to her ass. Sheâs smiling a little at Azzi, teeth not bared but lips still curved endearingly. Her hair is blonde and pulled together at the nape of her neck. Baby hairs hang away from the bun and frame her face effortlessly. Sheâs tall, even taller than Azzi, and has a lean frame that Azzi thinks she can sense muscle poking through. And her eyes. Theyâre bright and blue and they shine in the sun despite the covering hanging over the porch. Sheâs beautiful. Azzi swallows to force herself to not let her jaw drop.
Itâs quiet for a moment between them. âHi,â the woman tries, and Azzi feels her entire face go warm. Sheâs standing in front of her and she looks homeless in her ratty t-shirt and pajama shorts she doesnât think show from under her top. Her hair is a mess and sheâs in glasses and no makeup. And sheâs here, arms crossed over her chest, staring at the prettiest girl sheâs ever met. âI have a package for Azzi Fudd? It needs a signature.â
âOh, yeah, thatâsâŚme,â she says. Her mouth feels dry. She looks down to the womanâs hands and notices she is, in fact, holding a package. And a clipboard with a pen tied to it. She offers the latter out towards Azzi, who immediately forgets the reason her arms are crossed and reaches to grab the pen. Her face heats even farther. She scrambles trying to pick the pen up off of the clipboard, clicking it so the point of it is out.
The woman stands there in silence. Azzi prays her nipples arenât too out. She signs her name on the line and then sets the pen back down on the clipboard, looking back up at her. The girl is already looking at her. Blue meets brown, ocean waves crashing against wet rocks. Azziâs mouth wavers a little with the beginning of a smile. Her heart is pounding. âAlright, thanks.â She holds the package out. Azzi doesnât even remember ordering anything. Itâs decorated with Amazon logos. She takes it from her. Their fingers brush. Heat trickles down Azziâs spine.
The woman smiles at her one more time, under eyes pressing into the softness of her bright irises, and then takes a step backwards off of the porch. âHave a good day, maâam,â she says, nodding her head at Azzi. Itâs somehow incredibly attractive. The bottoms of her quads peek out from under her little delivery uniform shorts and they flex as she steps down.
Azziâs mouth is still so dry. She steps back farther into her house, trying to offer the woman something like a smile. âYeah, you too,â she says, and then the woman is turning around, leaving Azzi with only the sight of her messy bun at the nape of her neck and the shape of her back as she walks back down her driveway and to her delivery truck. Azzi watches her for a few moments longer before she realizes how fucking insane she looks and steps fully inside the house again. She shuts the door.
Her heart is racing. She doesnât think sheâs ever been that flustered by a stranger before in her life, let alone at her own goddamn house. Azzi clutches the package to her chest and turns around herself, eyes wide. Caroline is still laying obliviously on the couch. âCarol,â she says carefully. Caroline hums from the living room. The Fortnite ambience is back. âThe Ring doorbell is set up to record all the time, right?â
Caroline pauses for a moment. Azzi doesnât move from in front of the door. âYeah. Why? You just get, like, attacked?â Azzi glances down at the box sheâs holding. She doesnât even know whatâs in it. She doesnât remember placing an Amazon order, let alone one that would require a signature. She turns it over in her hands while she mulls over a response to Carolineâs question.
âBasically,â is what she eventually lands on. Caroline perks a little at this, turning away from her game just long enough to furrow her brows and look at Azzi. She looks only a little concerned. Azzi shrugs at her. âI just met the hottest woman I have ever seen. The delivery person. Genuinely the baddest woman Iâve ever met.â She looks back down at her package. At her fingers, which aforementioned baddest woman had grazed while handing off the package.
Caroline sighs quietly. âAzzi, if youâre tryna jerk off to Ring doorbell footage, this is a new low, even for you.â
Azzi looks up at Caroline again, brows furrowing, mouth parting in shock. âNo, I- What the fuck does that even mean? Even for me? I was just gonna show you her. What the hell is your damage?â Caroline just laughs back. Azzi flips her off and pads back to the kitchen where she will abandon the document she had been downloading in favor of opening up her package with a steak knife, replaying her interaction with the delivery driver in her head the entire time.
Searched for what amazon packages require signatures every time
9:51 AM ⢠Details
Searched for do the same amazon workers deliver to ur house every time
9:51 AM ⢠Details
â
Amazon: Your package is out for delivery. Estimated date of arrival is Sunday, June 14th.
Amazon: Your package is arriving today between 1 - 4 PM. Signature required.
â
Itâs a new day. A new day, a new Amazon package, and potentially a new driver. Azzi is hoping the final part of that wonât actually come to fruition. Before this, it had been the same one every time she had caught a glimpse of him walking back to his truck after leaving the package at their door: an older man, hair balding and usually covered by a hat, his walk a little funny sometimes. He probably quit or something and this new woman is his replacement. This hopefully means that, as his replacement, she will be the one to drive around their neighborhood every day. If sheâs even working today.
Azziâs wearing makeup. Itâs Sunday, so sheâs just gotten back from a yoga class with Caroline and a few of their mutual friends. She has nothing else to do the rest of the day and she still had put on makeup after her shower. Caroline is sitting cross legged on the floor in the living room, typing away on some assignment she keeps complaining about. Azzi is sitting sideways in the armchair and reading. Itâs just past two. Her entire body is buzzing with a nervous excitement she thinks she should probably be ashamed of.
âI swear to God, Azzi, if you keep kicking your legs that fast outta the corner of my fucking eye, Iâm making you an amputee,â Caroline grumbles from where she sits. Azzi can only look up from her book and offer her best friend a sympathetic glance. She doesnât really feel that bad. Sheâs just nervous. Sheâs excited. She hasnât actually understood a word from her book since about five pages ago. Sheâs going to be annoyed with herself when she has to flip back until the last time she was genuinely reading later. âIs this seriously over the Amazon delivery lady?â
âYes, bro,â Azzi all but whines. She tips her head back, curls hanging down over the arm of the chair. Caroline huffs. Azzi shuts her eyes, nearly wincing up at the ceiling. âWhat if itâs not even her? What if the usual guy was just sick and so heâs back today and Iâll literally never see her again?â She drops her book in her lap and raises both hands up to cover her face. Sheâs careful not to make too much direct contact with her skin so as to not disturb her makeup.
Caroline scoffs from where she sits on the floor. Her keyboard clacks as she starts typing something. Azzi stays laying dramatically draped across the armchair. Her feet twitch with the urge to start kicking them. âI hope thatâs what happens, âcause I donât think I can take more of this.â
Azzi removes her hands from her face and turns to look at Caroline, scowling. Caroline doesnât even look up to meet her eye. Azzi only furrows her brows further. âCan you be supportive for once in your life?â And right as sheâs saying it, the sound sheâs been waiting for all afternoon comes. The chime of the doorbell. She straightens up where sheâs sitting like a dog being called.
Caroline sighs. âGo get your girl,â she mutters. Azzi is scrambling to get out of the chair before Caroline can even finish her sentence. Sheâs grinning a little to herself as she does so, bare feet padding against the carpet of the living room and then the wood of the floor to the entrance of the house. She can see an arm through the little side window again. If she was feeling any more delusional, sheâd say it looks familiar.
She stops in front of the door. Takes a deep breath, smoothes the palms of her hands over the tank top she has on. It hugs her nicely. Her boobs are sitting a way she likes much more than the way they had the first time she had met the hot delivery woman. She tucks her curls behind the shells of her ears and reaches out to open the door. Her heart is quick in her chest. Itâs such a stupid school girl crush.
Itâs her again. Her hair is down today, blonde and straight and long around her shoulders. Sheâs wearing the same soft smile, the same frame peeking out from under her delivery uniform, the same blue eyes that catch on sunlight Azzi didnât think could reach them from here. Her smile splits open a little when Azzi opens the door. Her teeth are slightly revealed through the pink flesh of her lips. âHi again,â she says.
She remembered Azzi. Azziâs own grin widens a little more. She moves to tuck her hair behind her ear even though itâs already there. âHi,â she says. And for a moment, they just smile at each other a little, and Azzi can feel every part of her body warming and tensing at the same time. Itâs all conflicting. She feels like sheâs malfunctioning. The woman holds out the clipboard again. âSign again?â Azzi asks it even though itâs a dumb question. Sheâs reaching for the pen anyway.
The girl nods once at her. âYeah,â she says, flipping some of her hair over her shoulder. Azzi signs on the same line she had signed on a different paper yesterday and then sets the pen down again, looking up at her. Sheâs smiling at her. Her blue eyes feel like theyâre swallowing her whole. She holds out the package silently and Azzi just takes it. Their hands donât brush this time. Azzi tries to swallow her disappointment, instead looking warmly ahead at her. âThanks. Have a good day,â the woman says, and then sheâs stepping back off of the porch, cheeks warm with the summer sun, a kind smile warping her features.
Azzi really doesnât want her to go. She leans into her door a little and waves at her. The action is small and it feels so stupid to do, but sheâs so flustered she doesnât even care. âYeah, you too,â she says. The girl smiles at her one last time before turning around again. Her delivery truck is grumbling next to the sidewalk, sleek and black. Its door yawns open to take the woman from her. Azzi sighs and shuts the door.
âThat was the least romantic interaction Iâve ever seen,â Caroline says from behind her. Azzi whips around, clutching the package to her chest. Her best friend is standing right there. She looks slightly amused, brows raised a little, mouth fighting a smirk. Sheâs holding a banana. Thereâs very clearly some of it still in her mouth. âYou couldâve at least flirted or something, Az,â she says. She shrugs after it like that would make it better.
Azzi immediately scowls at her. âShut the hell up,â she says, brushing past her. She hits her on the shoulder as she does so. Caroline stumbles a little but says nothing, instead laughing quietly. Azzi walks to the kitchen to start opening the package the woman had just given her. Her heart is still racing a little. âSheâs prolly turned off by how disgusting I looked yesterday.â She sighs.
Caroline walks into the kitchen after her. She leans up against the counter and takes another bite of her banana, chewing as Azzi opens the cutlery drawer. Azzi is so flustered. Obviously she is. Thatâs just the effect that beautiful woman has on her, even when sheâs long gone in her stupid Amazon truck. âYouâve bagged girls whoâve seen you worse. Remember when that girl still hooked up with you after you threw up at the pre? And the pre was at her apartment?â
Azzi winces at the memory. She pulls a steak knife out of the drawer and looks up at Caroline, grimacing a little at her. Caroline pulls a similar expression back and swallows her bite of banana. âThat was a hard time in my life. I donâtâŚthat doesnât count.â Azzi shakes her head as she speaks as if to ratify the decision.
Caroline frowns at her. Her brows furrow. âThat was four months ago, Azzi.â She doesnât even laugh as she says it, which just draws even more regret up within Azzi, who now is juggling both present and past embarrassment. She raises her hands to her face and presses the heels of her palms into her eye sockets. Doesnât even care if her mascara gets messed up, because the hot delivery woman was the only one she needed to see it, anyway.
âGet away from me, oh my God,â she moans with her hands pressed over her eyes. She can hear Caroline laugh at her before walking away, steps muffling when she gets to the carpet of the living room again.
â
Amazon: Your package is out for delivery. Estimated date of arrival is Monday, June 15th.
Amazon: Your package is arriving today between 11 AM - 4 PM. Signature required.
â
Azzi works from home most of the time. They rarely need her in-office. Sheâs home today, brows furrowed in focus as she types away at a report, leg drawn up as she sits at the kitchen table. Caroline is air frying something. Azzi can smell the burn of it wafting through the kitchen. Caroline apparently cannot, because she has yet to turn off the appliance.
Itâs seven minutes until half-past four. No one has rang their doorbell today. Azzi is trying really hard to not care. She chews on the inside of her cheek, the skin there soft and a little metallic-tasting as she does so. Her molars twist it around until small chunks are bitten off. Sheâs looking up from her document to check the time every few seconds. Sheâs surprised Caroline hasnât caught on yet and started making fun of her.
Silence is even between the roommates. The clicking of Azziâs keyboard and the humming of the old air fryer fills it comfortably. Azzi squints at her laptop. Then she squints at the time displayed on their oven. Then she squints back at the report sheâs trying to finish. Itâs really hard to work when all she can think about is a beautiful woman sheâs had exactly two interactions with. Especially when the third was scheduled to have happened at the latest twenty-three - Azzi looks up at the oven clock again as the green numbers change - now twenty-four minutes ago.
The doorbell rings. Azzi straightens immediately. Caroline looks over at her, face blank. And then it curls into something else. Something knowing and amused, brows raising slightly, mouth smoothing into a smirk. âIâm guessing you wanna get that?â Azzi doesnât even care to answer the teasing question. She just stands up from where she sits at the kitchen counter, a small and somewhat nervous smile pulling across her face, heart starting to quicken in her chest.
She starts walking towards the entrance to their house. She can hear Caroline laughing a little at her. She elects to not react to this, either, instead running the palms of her hands over her ribs to both smooth the fabric of her top and soothe herself. Itâs a cropped athletic t-shirt, her naval piercing shining over the waist of her shorts. Itâs soft and she runs the hem of it between her fingers a few times before reaching out to open the door.
Itâs her again. Just as Azzi wanted. Her heart picks up again in her ribcage. She smiles at her and the woman smiles back, a real one that her teeth shine through. Her lips stretch over the whiteness of the bones. Itâs a pretty smile, eyes pressing softly from almonds to fat crescents. The clean blueness of her irises still reaches Azzi through the slightly thinned shape. âHi again,â she says.
Azzi feels a little fuzzy. She tucks her hair behind one of her ears, nails dragging along her skin as she does so. âHi again,â she agrees. Sheâs still smiling like an idiot, the apples of her cheeks warm. The womanâs hair is slicked back into a ponytail that hangs behind her. She raises a hand and smoothes the palm of it over the side of her head as if to slick the ponytail again. Itâs a cute little tic.
âSorry Iâm a little late,â she says. She uses her free hand to grab the package where she had tucked it between her side and her elbow and then extends her now free arm to hold the clipboard out to Azzi. Azzi picks up the pen without hesitation. The line for her to sign her name is familiar now. She tears her eyes away from the hot delivery woman and looks for it.
âItâs totally fine. Youâve been so good the other times, you get a pass.â Youâve been so good? What the fuck is Azzi even saying at this point? The pen scribbles as she draws her signature onto the paper. Her face feels warm. Her heart skips a little as she becomes a little embarrassed, biting the inside of her cheek, still smiling a little.
The woman holding the clipboard just laughs quietly. Azzi finishes signing and sets the pen back on the clipboard. âGlad you wonât hold it against me.â She looks up at her and the girl is grinning at her. Itâs a little wider than the ones before it have been, a little more open, like itâs more real. It makes Azzi go soft, body like putty as she smiles back at her. The woman holds out the package. âI like your necklace,â she says. Itâs a little quiet.
Azzi reaches one hand out to accept the package and another to her throat, fingers pressing themselves against the bone below it. The pendant of her necklace presses into her skin. The necklace sheâs wearing had been a gift from her mother, a dainty silver chain with a small pink stone sitting on it. Not really anything special. She grins at the woman anyway, skin flushing. âOh, thank you.â She takes the package. Their fingers brush again. Azzi thinks sheâs been lit on fire from the inside out and will be reduced to a pile of melted wax and jumping sparks pretty soon. âHave a good day,â she says as the woman steps backwards off of her porch.
She offers her one last smile. âYou too, maâam.â She turns around, blonde ponytail swinging behind her with each step, her lean yet muscular legs taking her down Azziâs driveway. She watches her for a few moments longer than necessary before stepping back and shutting the door. The click of its close feels not at all as final as it should to Azzi. It just feels like the promise of another delivery tomorrow, an echoing of the same interaction and the same two girls and the same two pairs of eyes shining.
âAt least she complimented you this time,â Caroline calls from the kitchen. Azzi walks back into it from the foyer, holding her package, grinning. Her best friend is still standing in front of the air fryer like she had before. âI still think youâre, like, really delusional, but at least something happened.â Azzi doesnât even bicker with her. She just beams at her, setting the package on the counter, ignoring the way Caroline snorts a little at her.
â
Amazon: Your package is out for delivery. Estimated date of arrival is Tuesday, June 16th.
Amazon: Your package is arriving today between 5 - 8 PM. Signature required.
â
Tuesday night, Azzi is sitting around after eating dinner with Caroline when the doorbell rings. Itâs a little before seven. The sun has just barely begun setting, sky deepening from a baby blue to a slightly colder color. The star is orange on the horizon. Azzi feels almost as bloated as it, laying spread out on the couch next to her roommate as the television plays something for them she hasnât really been paying attention to. She starts paying attention, though, when the familiar chime of the doorbell sounds through the house.
Caroline sighs next to her. She says lazily slumped on the couch next to where Azzi is sitting. Azzi straightens up and turns to look at her. Caroline is still facing forward to watch the show. The colors of the screen try to lick at her skin but the sunlight lifting the entire house blocks them from doing anything other than dancing out of the corner of Azziâs eye. âYâknow, âm kinda worried about your bank account. I dunno how youâre affording Amazoning packages literally every day.â
Azzi scoffs as she stands up, her t-shirt draping softly over her frame. Her hair is pulled up in a bun. A nice one, a slick back she had put effort into. Not similar to the one sheâd been wearing when she had first opened the door to the hot delivery woman with. âI have big girl money from my big girl job. Itâs fine.â She tosses this reply over her shoulder as she walks towards the door, body going warm with giddiness again. Caroline snorts a little at it. She doesnât care.
Azzi walks to the foyer and tries to fight her smile when she sees a familiar arm with a familiar delivery uniform in the window. Her heart is quick in her chest. A smile is pulling across her face before sheâs even opened the door. She steps forward and grabs the doorknob and opens it, letting the door swing open as she stands in the gap itâs created.
Itâs her. Her hair is in a messy bun again, an irregular shape Azzi can see peeking out from behind the base of her neck. Sheâs smiling as Azzi opens the door. Again, her teeth are bared, making it larger than the first few Azzi had seen. Her eyes are sparkling. She blinks and her lashes drag up and down, sweet smudges against the brightness of her irises. Azziâs face feels warm. Her chest does, too. âHi again,â the woman greets.
Azzi feels herself smile stupidly, lips splitting to reveal her teeth, cheeks crushing with her dimples. âHi again,â she repeats. And for a moment, they just stand there, looking at each other. Azzi canât tell if they spend longer than they should there. She canât accurately interpret the pause, is unable to focus long enough on anything that isnât the woman in front of her to try and pick apart the interaction. She just smiles at her. And sheâs smiled at back.
She holds the clipboard out after a moment. Azzi knows the drill by now. She looks down at it to grab the pen, looks towards the womanâs hand to trace the outline of it, lets her eyes roam the way veins rise off of the backs of her hands like little mountain ranges Azzi can pick up even from where she stands. ââm here a lot, I feel like. You need a lot of stuff from Amazon?â The pen clicks.
Azziâs face twists as she fights a smile. She pauses, pen in hand, form unsigned. Looks back up at the woman instead of the clipboard. Is met with a soft smile and shining eyes. Her heart picks up again in her chest, ribcage rendered useless as she feels herself melt all over her porch with a softness she doesnât think is normal to feel towards someone who is basically a stranger. âSomething like that,â she lands on, still grinning a little. She moves the pen down to the line. Her mouth opens without thinking. âHey, you know my full name and address, but I donât know yours. Whatâs your name?â
For a split second, sheâs worried sheâs being too forward, the scrawling of the ballpoint hitching with her breath as she waits. But the woman laughs easily. âIâm Paige,â she says. Azzi breathes again. The pen continues moving. Paige continues speaking. âIâd give you my address, but I dunno what youâd really do with it other than stalk me.â
Azzi finishes the last loop of her signature and glances up from the form. Paige is already looking at her face, eyes sparkling a little. Sheâs grinning. Her cheeks look a little pink. Azzi canât tell if itâs the sunset playing tricks on her or not. âNot into that?â Itâs teasing. Azzi sets the pen back down on the clipboard.
Paige just looks at her for a second. Her smile is still stretched across her face. Her gums barely hide under the spread of her lips and Azzi thinks itâs adorable. And then Paige looks down, pupils dragging over the length of her body like something physical. Azzi feels a spark run down her spine like an electrical shock. Paige looks back up. âI could be,â she muses.
Azzi squints at her a little bit. Her heartbeat is quick in her chest. Paige was definitely just checking her out. Paige is flirting with her. The hot delivery woman is flirting with her. Azziâs entire face feels like itâs going to peel away from her skull with how hard sheâs fighting the biggest smile she thinks sheâs ever worn. âWell, if youâre not gonna give me your address, I could think of a different string of numbers you could give me to even it out,â she says, batting her lashes once. Itâs a little joking.
It works either way. Paige laughs a little again, looking down at her feet. Her cheeks definitely look a little flushed. Azzi feels giddy. Paige looks back up at her again and sheâs smiling the biggest Azziâs seen so far. Itâs adorable, eyes squinted into thin crescents, gummy smile softening all of her so sharply carved features. âYouâre smooth, miss Azzi Fudd.â Azzi laughs a little at this. She feels like sheâs shining.
Paige holds her hand out almost expectantly. Azzi stares at it blankly for a moment before scrambling to pull her phone out of the pocket of her shorts, fingers quick as she digs into the fabric and then unlocks her phone. She opens her contacts and holds it out to Paige almost shyly. Paige takes it silently, grinning, and begins to type with one hand. Azzi watches her in silence. Her heart is beating so quickly she can almost feel it in her throat.
The blonde girl hands back her phone after a few moments of awkward, one-handed typing. She hands the package off with it. Their hands touch again and it feels very much purposeful on both of their ends. It just makes Azzi grin at her like an idiot, body buzzing with an excitement she doesnât know how to cut through. âSee you soon, Iâm assuming?â Paige laughs a little with it.
Azzi laughs, too. The sounds tangle in the soft air between them, the summer warming it and the sunset letting it bleed sweetly between them like wine on a tablecloth. âYup,â she says simply, and Paige laughs again. Azzi clutches the package to her chest. Her face hurts from smiling and blushing so much. Paige steps down off of the front porch. Once again, Azziâs eyes are drawn to the way her quads flex a little under her shorts. âHave a good day, Paige,â she says.
Paige smiles at her. Her eyes get squinty again. Azzi feels her entire being soften, a response she didnât even know she could have. âYou too, Azzi,â she says, and then sheâs turning around again, her little truck waiting for her against the curb. Azzi is so obsessed with her it feels like she has heartburn to watch her walk away.
Azzi shuts the door before sheâs even stepped onto the driveway. Shock, dumb and a little cold, splashes down her. It follows the same path along her spine as the sparks that had caught along the knobs of her vertebrae earlier. âCarol,â Azzi all but yells, feet cemented into the floor. Her roommate says nothing. âCaroline, I got her number,â she says at the same volume.
Silence for a moment. Azzi smiles dumbly into the house, phone and package held tightly. And then bright laughter. Itâs from Caroline. Surprisingly, itâs not mocking. It rings along the house, echoing off of the walls and the windows that let in the sunâs fading light. âWait, seriously?â She sounds just as shocked as Azzi feels, a slight happiness for her bleeding into the sound of it. Azzi laughs.
â
Unknown Number: VERY bold to put the winky face
Unknown Number: didnât think u had the dexterity to do that one handed
paige bueckers đ: hey i am very dexterous
paige bueckers đ: i dont play about my thumb flexibility.
azzi: is that something they train amazon workers for
paige bueckers đ: yup and i bet u dont even have good thumb flexibility bc u dont work for amazon so
paige bueckers đ: actually what do u do for work?
azzi: um rude i am also very dexterous
azzi: iâm an operations manager for one of the bigger tech companies in dallas so itâs js a lot of boring business reports abt products and shipping
azzi: but i actually am ambidextrous
paige bueckers đ: wait wtf thats so cool ive never met one in real life
azzi: one??? what am i a zoo animal
paige bueckers đ: LMFAO NOT LIKE THAT
paige bueckers đ: j like idk isnt that rare
azzi: prob idk
azzi: mine isnât natural my dad pretty much forced it
paige bueckers đ: u can force being ambidextrous???
paige bueckers đ: was it like a punishment or smth im scared
azzi: LMAO
azzi: no i grew up in a big basketball family and when i was rlly little he used to like seran wrap my right hand to my body so i would dribble w only my left hand
azzi: but i never liked basketball so i js would start doing other things like that and then i became ambidextrous
paige bueckers đ: that is the weirdest thing ive ever heard
paige bueckers đ: u r one interesting person
azzi: iâm gonna take that as a compliment
paige bueckers đ: u should
paige bueckers đ: đ
paige bueckers đ: u couldnt see it but i typed that with one thumb btw
azzi: wow ur kinda a dork
â
Amazon: Your package is out for delivery. Estimated date of arrival is Wednesday, June 17th.
Amazon: Your package is arriving today between 12 - 5 PM. Signature required.
â-
The doorbell rings right before four in the afternoon. Azzi knows this because she barely has time to hang her work bag up in the laundry room and fill up her water bottle again before itâs ringing, the sound chiming through the house. Azzi thinks she knows who it is. She smiles a little to herself and pads towards the front door, heart rate picking up the way it always does when she knows sheâs about to see Paige. Sheâs still in her work clothes, navy skirt wrapped around her thighs and white blouse smoothed over her chest. Her flats are in the way of the door where she had kicked them off. She kicks them away carelessly and opens the door.
Itâs Paige. Of course it is. Her hair is down again and itâs in effortless waves that tumble down her shoulders. The sandy color of the waves and the bright blue of her eyes are beachy and sweet. She smiles at Azzi. âHi again,â she says. Itâs endearing. Azzi grins back wider.
They had stayed up texting late the night before. Azzi had sent the first message barely an hour after Paige had put her number into her contacts. It had taken an extreme amount of restraint to not text her immediately after. But Paige had responded not even twenty minutes after that and then their conversation had brought them nearly to midnight, with Azzi being the one to say goodbye first and citing her need to work in person the next morning as her reasoning. Theyâve been texting periodically all of today as well.
âHi again, Paige,â she says back. Paige brightens a little at the sound of her name. Azzi notices that sheâs holding the package and clipboard, but theyâre both tucked between her arm and her side. Sheâs not ready to give them to Azzi yet. Sheâs not cutting their interaction short. Azzi feels the familiar buzz of being flustered in front of her start to hum through her body. She doesnât want to cut it short, either. Sheâd let Paige keep that stupid form and stupid package from her forever if it meant getting to talk to her for that long.
Paige reaches up and tucks some of her hair behind her ear. Her skin looks like itâs glowing in the sunlight, the high points of her carved features shining at Azzi. âHowâs your day been?â She rocks back a little on her feet as she asks it. Her cheeks look slightly pink. Azzi canât tell if itâs her mind playing tricks on herself or if Paige is really blushing at her.
In Azziâs opinion, the question is a little unnecessary. Paige knows how her day has been. Theyâve been texting throughout it. But she thinks itâs really cute that sheâs asking, and so Azzi smiles at her wider and then shrugs a little. âGood. Really didnât want to go into the office today, but good. Howâs yours?â
Paige shrugs as well. The clipboard starts slipping a little with the action and Paige has to reach out her free hand to grab at it. âPretty good now,â she says. Itâs almost quiet, said as sheâs looking away from Azzi. It still makes her blush a little harder, the apples of her cheeks thinning the shape of her eyes. Paige holds the clipboard out now that sheâs already grabbed it and doesnât have an excuse to put it off for longer. Azzi reaches for the pen. âSign it with your left hand.â
Azzi pauses. Something within her sparks a little harder. She looks up from the clipboard and to Paige, right hand hovering near the pen. Paige is looking at her with eyes that look like theyâre shining jewels. Sheâs grinning stupidly, both girls frozen. âYou need proof?â
Paige laughs a little. âYes! I canât be talking to a liar, Azzi.â Azzi exhales a soft laugh and shakes her head. At Paigeâs command, though, she lowers her right hand and picks the pen up with her left. She feels warm at the way Paige so easily brings up their other conversations, the way sheâs real and concrete and beautiful in the seconds Azzi gets when she hands off her packages and then funny and charming for hours over text and Azzi gets to know that those are two parts of the same person.
The pen scribbles along the paper. She doesnât really use her left hand anymore, and so even though sheâs technically ambidextrous, she can feel herself wobbling a little and smudging it as she goes. She lifts the pen from the paper and sees the lines of her signature faded as ink runs off to the side. âI ruined it,â she complains, setting the pen back down.
She holds up her hand and looks at the bottom of it. Black ink is smeared across the skin there, gray on caramel bleeding to peach. She looks up at Paige and frowns a little, angling her hand towards her. Paige only glances at her hand for a moment before sheâs just looking at her face. âItâs fine,â she says softly. A little smile is playing at her face. Her cheeks look a little flushed.
The clipboard is tucked back into Paigeâs side. Before she can produce the package for Azzi, the brunette starts speaking, tongue running wild while her heart is quick in her ribs and her entire body feels like itâs humming. âDo you work every day? Youâve been the one to deliver every single package Iâve ordered.â
Paige looks back up at her. She squints at her a little, nose scrunching on top of her smile. It relaxes away again after a moment. âNo. You lookinâ for other delivery drivers?â
âNo,â Azzi says. Her response is almost knee-jerk. She thinks it was slow enough to play off as not outright weird, but not enough for it to have been truly casual. Her stomach flips a little.
Paige laughs. The sound is a chime blowing through a gust of wind, a soft and tinkling sound Azzi really likes. Her smile goes gummier. âThey put me on schedule five days in a row. I think âm off tomorrow and the day after that. But my schedule changes by the week, so itâll prolly be different after that.â She shrugs again. Reaches back towards her side to grab Azziâs package.
Azzi leans up against the doorway a little. She can feel the neckline of her blouse moving a little, shifting with her shoulder to reveal a little more cleavage. She doesnât care to adjust it. Maybe Paige will look and like whatâs there. Maybe Paige will also then look a little higher, from her chest to her throat, and see that Azzi hasnât taken off the necklace she had complimented in days. âGuess I wonât be ordering anything thatâll come before three days from now, then.â She shrugs a little.
Paige laughs. âDamn. Wonât cheat on her Amazon driver. Dream girl.â This comment makes Azzi almost dizzy with that familiar buzz of being flustered. Her smile deepens and her face flushes a little. Her heart trips over itself.
âNot a liar or a cheater. Package deal. Youâd like that.â She points at the package Paige is still holding. Paige laughs at this, face folding into another gummy smile. Azzi just listens to her for a moment and then swallows, words suddenly pressing themselves out of her. They feel like theyâre crawling out of her mouth. She doesnât have enough time to think about stopping them. âWait, but now that youâve brought that upâŚI donât work Friday, either. Would youâŚlike, I dunno. Would you maybe wannaâŚgo get drinks or something? Or dinner?â
Her breath stills in her lungs. If sheâs being honest, she was not expecting herself to be so forward. Or so quick. Her entire face heats. She clamps the inside of her cheek between her molars. Her body feels frozen as she waits for Paige to respond. But the blonde girl immediately smiles again. Itâs different from all the other ones. Lopsided, sweet and large and almost disbelieving. The silence that hangs itself between them feels like the longest silence Azzi has ever endured in her life. âYeah,â she says almost softly. Azzi exhales. âYeah, Iâd really like to get dinner with you. On Friday.â
Azzi feels like sheâs fully slumping into the doorframe with how hard sheâs leaning into it. Sheâs grinning like an idiot, every inch of her skin warmed, every square inch of volume in her mind infatuated with the woman in front of her. âI would, too,â she says. Paigeâs smile just turns even more lopsided. Itâs the most endearing expression Azzi thinks sheâs ever had the pleasure of seeing on someone elseâs face.
Paige tucks her hair behind her ear. Azzi does, too. The same nervous tic mirrored. Azzi thinks itâs cute. âSo itâs a date.â Paige nods once as she says it.
Azzi likes the sound of the word. âItâs a date,â she agrees, and Paige just seems to soften even more in front of her. Theyâre both made of butter, soft and sweet and melting under the attention of the other. Paige takes a singular step back to get away from the porch. Thereâs a color that has risen to her cheeks that hammers the final nail into the coffin: Azzi definitely has Paige blushing. Azzi feels giddy with the knowledge. âIâll see you then, Paige.â
Paige nods once again. Her waves drag up and down her shoulders with the action. She steps back and the late afternoon light starts to swallow her again, her entire being bright against the slowly dimming sky. âSee you Friday, Azzi,â she says, voice warm and lifted with a happiness Azzi can almost taste between them. She watches Paige walk until sheâs on the driveway and then softly shuts the front door. And then she jumps up and down and screams.
â
azzi: never gave me my package btw
paige bueckers đ: SHIT LMFAO
paige bueckers đ: WHY DIDNT U SAY ANYTHING
azzi: I JS DID
azzi: HOW DID U NOT NOTICE
paige bueckers đ: can u even blame me for being distracted by u
paige bueckers đ: turning around now
azzi: no like its fine ive lowk js been ordering a bunch of bullshit this whole time
azzi: like whatever was cheapest and said it would show up the next day
paige bueckers đ: okay well first of all this is my job so its like. i kinda have to give it to u even if u dont need it
paige bueckers đ: second of all what is ur problem
azzi: god forbid a girl think her amazon delivery driver is hot
paige bueckers đ: okay well good news u dont have to keep ordering random stuff to see me
paige bueckers đ: is that deadass the only reason u were ordering sm stuff
azzi: maybeâŚ
azzi: maybe i js rlly needed multiple packages of plastic straws and a box of sunglasses đ
paige bueckers đ: wait aw
paige bueckers đ: ur so cute
azzi: ur not allowed to flirt and drive omfg bring me my plastic straws
pairing: paige x azzi
au: tattoo artist!paige
synopsis: azzi walks in asking for a tattoo that says she's over her ex. paige gave her a homework about a bird instead. because apparently, "that's not how it works, babe."
wc: 4k
âI want a tattoo that says Iâm over my ex.â
Paige glanced up from her sketchbook, surprised and confused. Azzi stood in front of the counter with her bag hanging on one should and her car keys still in her hand. She had a stubborn expression she had been wearing for most of the week. She looked tired. Slightly annoyed, too. Though that seemed to be less of a temporary situation.
âAre you over your ex?â
âThatâs not the point.â
âItâs kind of the whole point.â
Azzi sighed and dropped into the chair opposite the blonde tattoo artist. The shop was slow and quiet on a rainy afternoon, only one other artist was working further back. There was music playing low through a speaker. Azzi twitched her eyebrows as she recognized the song immediately.
Love by Keshia Cole.
Of fucking course!
Paige saw the disaster in Azziâs eyes and decided to help out this beautiful young lady, who wanted a tattoo that said she was over her ex.
That should be easy, right?
âOkay. What do you want?â Paige closed her sketchbook and rested her chin on her hands, entertaining the idea of a tattoo for an ex.
âI donât know! Youâre the expert!â
âFine. Letâs pretend weâre making responsible choices today.â Paige reached out for a blue folder which contains her portfolio. She scanned the first couple of pages and fired off recommendations for Azzi.
âFlowers are usually popular. People love flowers. They have different meanings. I believe the dandelion represents freedom.â
Azzi made a face.
Paige noticed immediately. âSee, thatâs somewhat helpful. Thatâs sort of a feedback. So, you hate flowers.â
âI donât hate flowers.â
âYou looked personally offended with the dandelions.â
âI donât want flowers tattooed on me. Theyâre what peopel buy when theyâve forgotten an anniversary.â Azzi pouted.
âFair enough. Sounds like that came from an experience.â Paige looked back on her portfolio. âWhat about celestial things? Moons are also popular. Or we can do some stars. Or a constellation perhaps. You know, the universe and galaxy, and all that. It means endless possibilities and finding your own direction again.â
Azzi leaned forward to look at the samples in the portfolio. The designs were nice. Clean lines. Impressive details. She could appreciate them on her, but she would appreciate them more on someone else.
âThose arenât really me.â
âDuly noted.â Paige turned another page. âHow about animals? Weâve got birds, dogs, spiders, and fish. Oh! Did you know last month, someone asked for a raccoon tattoo?â
Azzi laughed despite herself. âA raccoon?â
Paige nodded, happy they were going somewhere with picking the design and happy to see the beautiful woman with even more beautiful eyes and smile, laugh.
âShe cried twice during our session.â
âCried over a raccoon?â Azzi asked, unable to decide if Paige was joking.
âOver her ex-boyfriend, actually. The raccoon was the emotional support animal tattoo.â
Azzi looked back down at the portfolio and mumbled. âI wonât cry again.â
The tattoo artist flipped another page, not knowing how to respond to that. She tapped a design near the corner. A broken heart. Classic.
Azzi immediately scrunched her nose in disgust.
Paige let out a soft chuckle and continued. She pointed at arrows, trees, and even commercial brand logos. Azziâs expression somehow got worse.
âHow about that?â
Azzi nodded towards the display behind Paige. The shelf was crowded with framed sketches and other artworks, but in the middle of them was a tiny Lego bird. Red and gold pieces spread into wide wings, perched proudly on a yellow and brown stand.
âYou want Lego tattoo?â Paige asked as she glanced over her shoulder.
âNot a Lego. I want the bird.â
Paige whipped her head back to Azzi, majorly offended by her calling it a bird. âYou mean the phoenix?â
âYeah.â Azzi shrugged. âPhoenix. Bird. Whatever it is.â
Paige looked horrified, giving Azzi a decent glare. âDo you know what a phoenix means?â
Azziâs face screwed up, becoming suspicious if this was a trick question. âShould I be worried?â
âAbout the phoenix?â
âAbout whatever face youâre making.â Azzi didnât trust Paigeâs expression, which shifted slowly. The corners of her mouth lifted devilishly.
And then Paige laughed.
âYouâre weird. Donât you know that?â Azzi leaned back on her seat, putting a few extra inches between herself and Paigeâs increasingly concerning smile. If the tattoo artist turned out to be a pscyho lunatic, Azzi felt reasonably confident she could dash out to the front door of this small tattoo shop.
âI get that a lot. Iâll make you a deal Ms. I-Want-A-Tattoo-Because-My-Ex-Left-Me.â
âNot the point again.â Paige leaned back on her seat as well, crossing her arms and leg, studying Azzi.
âFine! What is it?â
âIf you can tell me what a phoenix tattoo means, Iâll tattoo it on you for free.â
Azzi blinked. âAre you mocking me?â
âNo, definitely not.â Paige adjusted her watch before looking at Azziâs brown eyes. âIâll give you a week. You can do your research, ask your friends, search it on Tiktok. Hell, you can even ask Tash at the back.â
Azzi momentarily leaned in and took a peek towards the rear of the tattoo shop. She could hear the faint buzzing sound of the tattoo machine from where Paigeâs coworker sat. She could also make out the blood on the clientâs arm. It was not a lot, but she could see it.
Her stomach gave an unhelpful little twist.
âCome back here if you have your answer.â Paige stood up and walked behind the counter where she started arranging her sketchbooks and some bottle of inks. âUntil then, maybe spend some time figuring out what you really want Ms. Iâm-Trying-To-Get-Over-My-Ex-So-I'm-Just-Gonna-Get-A-Tattoo.â
âAzzi is just fine.â
Paige picked up the last bottle of ink and paused, confusion written on her face.
âYou can call me Azzi.â
And then there was that devilish smile again. âSee you next time, Azzi.â
After three days of stubbornly avoiding the subject, Azzi found herself in a pottery class. She still hadnât searched what a phoenix tattoo meant.
She wasnât sure why.
The answer would take her only a few tap on her phone or a quick question to Siri. Instead, she had spent three days enrolling in various classes to make herself busy while continuing to think about it far more than she would like to admit.
Or maybe it wasnât about the phoenix, and it was more of that tattoo artist with a smug grin.
Azzi pressed on the clay a little firmer. The edge almost collapsed. She panicked a little, not wanting to start from scratch.
Why was she thinking about the tattoo artist anyway? She didnât even know her name.
One thing was for certain, though. It had become painfully obvious to Azzi that she had spent more time thinking about Paige than her ex-girlfriend. The realization came like an avalanche, tumbling down somewhere between her morning yoga session and weekly brunch with Ashanti earlier today.
The tattoo shop was nearly dark when Azzi arrived.
Most of the lights had already been turned off, leaving Paige moving in between the rooms to check everything before closing. She was twirling a set of keys looped around two fingers. She looked up whtn the bell above the door chimed, surprised for exactly half a second before her expression turned into something giddy.
âWeâre already closed, so if you have your answer, Iâm afraid weâll have to give you that tattoo on Friday.â
âI donât have an answer yet. Itâs not what Iâm here for.â
âAnd what are you here for?â Paige glanced at Azzi who was standing awkwardly in the middle of the shop, her hands behind her back. She looked like she was called to the principalâs office. The thought made Paige snicker as she opened the drawer behind the counter.
âI was passing by and I remembered I left my scarf here.â
Paige paused halfway through counting the money from the cash drawer and raised an eyebrow. Hmmmm. âA scarf, huh?â
âYeah, in my haste of leaving, I think I left it here.â
âAnd youâre trying to get it three nights after?â Paige smirked, teasing evident on her face.
âIâve been busy.â It wasnât technically a lie. She did a lot of things in the past seventy-two hours. Thinking of the tattoo artist made eighty percent of those times.
âSure. Letâs go with that.â Paige said, returning her attention back to the cash registry.
âIf I do have the answer now, why would I get tattoo on Friday and not tomorrow?â Azzi couldnât help but ask.
âBecause Iâm off Wednesday and Thursday. Iâll be back on Friday.â Paige finished counting and locked the cash drawer. âUnless, you want Tash to do it for you. Sheâs popular with the ladies.â
âNo!â The response was faster than an F1 car zooming on the grand prix. Azzi mentally slapped herself for acting a little desperate.
Paige chuckled, pocketing the key before rounding the corner. Azzi stood straighter than a ruler, with her hand still behind her back and her shoulders held too high. She looked like she was waiting to be accused of something.
Which, to be fair, she sort of was.
âYou always stand like this when youâre looking for missing scarves?â Paige asked, standing in front of Azzi a little too close. The almost nonexistent distance made Azziâs eyes snap to Paigeâs.
âDo you have my missing scarf?â Azzi whispered, afraid if she would let her voice be heard, Paige would vanish.
âNo.â Paige whispered back. âBut I do have a question for you.â
Dangerous.
Paige took another step and Azzi had a moment of weakness and shifted her gaze to Paigeâs lips.
Shit!
Very Dangerous.
âWhat is it?â She heard herself ask Paige.
âDo you want to get ice cream?â
Azzi found her way back to Paigeâs eyes, it sparkled in excitement that Azzi didnât know what the blonde was excited for. But she ended up nodding and caught Paige smile extra wide.
âGreat! I just know the perfect ice cream to help you move on.â
Paige had somehow ended up with mint chocolate. Azzi wasnât surprised. It felt very on-brand for someone who probably had a habit of becoming oddly passionate about things nobody else thought to argue about. Or try to eat.
They were walking down the pier and Azzi noticed there were far more people on the boardwalk than she had expected. It was one of those early July evenings where the weather finally decided to cooperate.
âWant to try mine?â Paige held her cone slightly towards Azzi as they slowed to let a group of teenagers pass.
Azzi looked at the pale green scoop an d immediately shook her head. âNo, thank you. That tastes like toothpaste.â
âToothpaste?â The laugh escaped before Paige could stop it. She tucked one hand into her jacket pocket as they continued walking. âThatâs such a weird argument.â
âYouâre telling me youâre not eating Colgate?â
âHow about you take a bite and tell me if itâs Colgate.â Paige offered her cone again, this time teasingly with how she almost shoved it into Azziâs lips.
âUgh! No!â Azzi took another bite of her strawberry ice cream, trying to protect herself from tasting the nasty flavored ice cream Paige got.
âFine. Strawberry is boring, anyway.â Paige shrugged, licking her cone as they reached the railing.
Azzi stopped short in front of her. âExcuse me?â
âYou heard me. Itâs boring because itâs a safe choice.â
âItâs a good choice.â
âI doubt all of your choices are good.â Paige leaned her back on the railings, eyes never leaving Azziâs.
The wind pushed a few strands of blonde hair across her face, and Azzi wanted to reach out and tuck them behind Paigeâs ear.
She took another bite of her boring strawberry ice cream instead, for distraction. She stepped beside Paige and leaned her elbows against the railing. The water below reflected the lights from the pier as it shifted with the tide. Around them, conversations drifted in and out, mixed with distant music from somewhere further down the boardwalk and lots of children crying.
This shouldâve been awkward. They only met three nights ago, and Azzi hadnât even learned Paigeâs name until the ice cream vendor had called it across the counter earlier.
âYou take ice cream conversations very seriously.â Paige studied her. âAre you still annoyed I called your ice cream boring?â
âWhat are you doing tomorrow?â
Paige was taken aback with the question that her cone slipped from her grip and fell into the dark water below.
âShit!â
âOh! Iâm so sorry.â Azzi panicked, horrified at the situation. âI didnât mean to make you drop it.â
âItâs fine. I think the ocean needs some toothpaste tonight, anyway.â Paige grinned, glancing at Azziâs cone. âGuess weâll have to share your boring strawberry now.â
Azzi rolled her eyes before extending her hand to Paige so she could get a bite.
âAnd to answer your question, I have a busy schedule tomorrow. I'm going to take you out on a date. How does lunch then paint ball sound?â
Paige leaned in and licked from the side of the ice cream without any apparent concern for the fact that Azzi froze at what Paige said and at the sight of her tongue.
There was a tiny drop that melted on Azziâs thumb and Paige didnât hesitate to gently grab Azziâs wrist, afraid the other girl might pull away.
It was like a slow motion in movies where Azzi didnât have a second to comprehend what was happening. All her brain could register was the warm feeling of Paigeâs tongue licking her thumb.
It was all too much that she jerked her hand away from Paige, accidentally throwing her ice cream out into the dark ocean. Both of them watched it being swallowed by the waves.
Azzi opened her mouth, then closed it again. How had they gone from bickering over ice cream flavors to sending the said ice creams to the water below?
âI guess, thatâs a Yes to tomorrow.â Paige looked entirely too pleased with herself. She wasnât even attempting to hide it.
Between the devilish smile and the obvious amusement in those blue eyes, Azzi had the distince impression sheâd walked into a trap.
Five, if she counted the one she had immediately removed after puttingg it on because it made her look like a side character in Hannah Montana.
It was just a casual invitation to spend her day with Paige. She didnât want to think more into it but it was all she could think of.
She stood in front of her bedroom mirror with a white shirt in one hand and a growing sense of irritation in the other. Her bed had disappeared beneath discarded clothes sometime during the last half hour. Two pairs of jeans had been rejected. Three tops had somehow become controversial. A yellow floral Sunday dress had briefly entered the conversation in her head before being dismissed on the grounds.
Azzi refused to give Paige the satisfaction of showing up too dressed and eager. That woman was already smug enough.
She dropped the shirt on to the pile and screamed.
This was absurd. They werenât even dating.
Or was this a date date already?
Paige asked her out. Technically.
The memory of last night made her groan and cover her face with both hands.
Fuck that stupid confidence. That stupid ice cream conversation. That stupid lick on her thumb.
Definitely, fuck that stupid smile.
And Azzi realized she was probably in trouble when getting dressed for Paig proved considerably more stressful than her breakup had been.
They were seated at a table near the back, away from other diners but not that far not to hear a family arguing over pizza toppings from a table near the window.
Azzi liked the place. And the pizza.
Annoyingly, she liked it a lot.
Paige seemed to notice sometime after Azzi finished her second slice of margherita. She wiped her fingers on a napkin after finishing her own slice of pepperoni and looked at Azzi with that small, pleased smile.
âYou like it here?â
Azzi pointed at her plate, as though the evidence wasnât already fairly damning. âItâs so good!â
âAnd the place?â
âFive-star rating, tops!â Azzi reached for her drink.
âWhen was your last five-star rating of a restaurant?â
âUh, itâs been a while since I had a good meal out.â Azzi admitted, setting the glass down quietly.
Paige was wary in shifting her expression. She didnât want Azzi to think she pitied her or something.
âYour ex didnât take you out that much?â
It was an innocent and careful question. Something Azzi hadnât thought of for quite some time since meeting the blonde.
âNot really. She was more in love with her work.â
Paige gave a soft nod, understanding it wasnât the time to ask more questions about the breakup or Azziâs dating history.
Azzi appreciated it, though she would never say it loud.
âThatâs a shame. Well, good thing I have excellent taste in pizza parlors.â
Azzi rolled her eyes. âAre you planning to take me to every pizza restaurant you know?â
âIf thatâs what makes you happy.â
âNow, youâre just plain flirting.â
âTrust me babe, this isnât even the tip of my rizz.â
Yeah, Azzi was not going to think about her ex ever again.
Azzi had paint on her cheek, her sleeve, and somewhere along the side of her neck that she was choosing not to think about.
It had started as one neat splatter across her shoulder, which Paige had looked far too proud of, and then deteriorated from there. The whole paintball field smelled faintly of damp wood, grass, and whatever was inside these paintball guns, which Azzi suspected was not something anyone should be breathing in for recreational purposes.
Paige was hiding behind a stack of barrels when Azzi found her.
Or, more accurately, when Paige let herself be found, because Azzi was beginning to understand that the blonde liked appearing innocent right before doing something annoying. She had her mask pushed up onto her head, hair messy beneath the strap, grin already waiting.
âYou look terrible.â Paige said, casually leaning one shoulder against the barrel like she handât spent the last twenty minutes sprinting aaround and making Azziâs life miserable.
Azzi lifted her paintball gun. âYou look worse.â
Paige glanced down at herself, then back up to Azziâs eyes. âI look decent.â
âDecent to lose!â
âYou have paint in your hair.â
âSo do you.â
Paige reached up, touched the side of her head, and found yellow paint on her fingers.
"Hmmmmm. Good shot, I guess. But really? On my hair? As if Iâm not blonde enough.â
âYou shot me in the back!â
âYou were running away.â
âI was trying to hide first.â
âThatâs not how it works, babe.â
Azzi narrowed her eyes at the endearment. It made Paige smile wider. This woman really did have an upsetting amount of confidence and charisma. She hated how she was sucked right into the depth of Paigeâs magnetic charm.
âI hate you.â Azzi said, mostly because it was easier than admitting whatever she was starting to feel.
âOh?â Paigeâs eyebrows lifted, her smile still in place. âThatâs cute. But I donât think you do.â
âI do!â Then Azzi fired.
Paige yelped, twisting out ouf the way. The splatter was bright orange against her dark rented overalls. Paige stared at it for a second, then looked back at Azzi with her mouth slighlty open, like she couldnât believe Azzi just did that.
âSo thatâs how weâre doing this?â
Azzi lowered her gun a little. âApparently.â
Paige moved fast after that, catching Azzi around the waist before she could retreat. Azzi stumbled back with a laugh she didnât mean to make, one hand gripping Paigeâs shoulder for support as they toppled over the side of a wooden barricade.
They fell into a haystack, laughing.
Paigeâs hand stayed at her waist. Azzi noticed.
Obviously.
Paige seemed to notice that Azzi noticed her hand placement, which was somehow worse.
The blondeâs smile softened, losing some of the teasing edge, and for a second Azzi forgot what she was supposed to do with her hands. One was still on Paigeâs shoulder, the other was holding the paintball gun, which felt wildly inappropriate for the moment.
âYou make it very easy for me to do anything.â
The confession shouldâve made Azzi push her and run, but she could no longer deny her attraction to Paige and the knots in her stomach. She had been ignoring it all day and now it had come to eat her alive.
âAre you having fun?â Paige asked softly.
Azzi nodded, unable to trust her voice.
Then Paigeâs eyes dropped briefly to her mouth, making Azziâs breath hitch. Paige was close enough that Azzi could see the smear of yellow paint near her defined jaw. It shouldâve looked stupid. It did look stupid, technically. It also made Azzi want to reach up and wipe it away.
The tattoo artist shifted closer.
Azzi let her.
And that felt like an answer to a question neither of them had asked out loud.
âAzzi.â
âYeah?â
Paigeâs gaze flickered to her mouth again. Very obviously. Azziâs fingers tightenedd against her shoulder.
But before Paige could lean down and close the gap, a loud ring was heard indicating their time on the field was up.
It made them both jerk back, Paige falling down unceremoniously. Her paintball gun got knocked on the ground and accidentally shot paint out directly at Azziâs chest.
âOoopsie?â
âYou are so dead to me!â Azzi open fired three shots at Paige on the ground before stomping off the field.
She could hear Paigeâs laughter while walking off.
It was a quiet Thursday, like a ceasefire as they didnât see each other.
Paige had gone sailing with her friends, another useless charm of Paigeâs which Azzi wanted to deny.
She had spent the whole Thursday organizing her life and thoughts, actually. The attempt had gone poorly.
It was very complicated, but also not really.
She liked Paige, and Paige appeare to like her too. There had nearly been a kiss, so that kind of counted.
But she also acknowledged it was too early to start anything with the blonde. Maybe they could start somewhere else instead.
She found herself walking toward the tattoo shop after her last meeting of the day.
Tash was the one who greeted her at the counter, wearing an all-knowing grin. âShe just finished with a client, sheâs at the back cleaning her station. Please tell her Iâm heading out for the day already.â
âThank you.â
Azzi walked further down to the back to where Paige was sitting on her chair, throwing some items to a nearby bin. She had her back towards where Azzi was standing.
âThe phoenix symbolizes the opportunity to start anew.â Azzi started. She saw Paige stiffened but not turning around. So, she continued. âThe phoenix burns but it does not perish. As it rises from the ashes, the phoenix symbolizes hope for a better future, overcoming its shortcomings.â
Paige slowly turned her swivel chair around.
âItâs the tattoo I want. Someday.â Azzi stepped closer, she had never seen Paige speechless and nervous, awaiting her next move. âSomeday when everything is all clear.â
Paige opened her legs to let Azzi move in between them. She automatically placed her hands on Azziâs waist, eyes never wavering from those beautiful brown orbs looking down at her.
âWhat do you want right now?â
âRight now, I want to take you to dinner and kiss you endlessly by the end of the night.â
And there was that stupid grin Azzi started to grow oddly fond of. âHow about we re-arrange our schedule for the night? Can I get that kiss first before you take me out to dinner?â
Azzi laughed at the stupidity of it all but nodded all too excitedly as she leaned down and cup Paigeâs face in her hands and kissed her.
Paige smiled into it almost immediately.
The kiss was soft at first, mostly because they both couldnât stop smiling. Paige slowly stood up and pulled Azzi closer, not letting her lips go.
Azziâs thumbs brushed over her cheeks, trying to feel grounded and making sure it was all real.
They apparently needed air and had to break t he kiss. But their touches remain uninterrupted.
âYou okay?â Paige asked, leaning her forehead against Azziâs.
âMore than okay.â And Azzi kiss the blonde again, because she could. And why not?
âGood. And letâs not use a missing scarf excuse next time you want to see me, yeah? It's summer, Az.â
âI hate you!â Azzi huffed, shoving Paigeâs laughing face away from her.
âI want a tattoo that says Iâm in love with my girlfriend.â
Paige smiled before turning around from her chair. It was closing time and Tash just left ten minutes ago.
âAre you in love with your girlfriend?"
âHead over heels.â
Paige got up and strode toward Azzi. She reached for Azziâs right hand, kissing the knuckles softly. She moved Azziâs hand as she kissed her palm, down to her wrist. She stopped and held Azziâs wrist gently.
Staring back at her was a small phoenix tattoo. Its vibrant orange, yellow, and red colors looked magnificent and breathtaking. Paige threw in some flowers around it, because flowers were no longer something Azzi got when her girlfriend missed a special occasion.
And Paige never missed anything.
She gave Azzi's phoenix tattoo a kiss.
âWhere do you want your next tattoo be?â She asked, looking at Azziâs dark eyes.
âSomewhere where my girlfriend could only see them.â
âThatâs a special session and it requires the privacy of our bedroom.â
âHow much will it cost me?â Azzi laced her arms around Paigeâs neck.
Paigeâs grin became unbearable, and Azzi held her breath on what the blonde would say.
idk the actual logistics of this but sounds like a great premise for an enemies to lovers fic tbh
wait you're onto something here
this post is actually about cricket, where the love to make ads with opposing captains standing next to each other, looking serious, which is so funny cause these people probably get coffee together in real life.
imagine a fic where paige and azzi are the faces of two opposing teams going into the finals and they get called into a photoshoot together. they have to act all stone faced but when the directors and cameras are distracted, they start to get to actually know each other. omg that would be so sweet.
i'm kind of imagining that one storyline in love actually with the two sweet shy actors standing in for sex scenes that fall for each other, but like in a photoshoot.
âtell me again what you thought of me,â paige asked, cheek resting on the bend of her elbow. her smile pressed her eyes into little crescents that made her look younger than she was.
they were lying in bed, sunday morning sunlight spilling through the gaps in azziâs blinds. her room let too much light in in the mornings. it was her biggest flaw.
azzi rolled her eyes, turning on to her back underneath paigeâs free arm. âiâve told you, like, eight times,â she protested.
paige pulled azzi towards herself by her waist, the sheets rustling under her as she was dragged across the mattress.
âi know, but i want you to tell me again.â
azzi looked at her out of the side of her eye in performative judgment and then sighed, giving in as easy as she always did. she turned so they were facing each other and reached out to play with the collar of paigeâs pajama shirt.
âwhen mila held up the lollipops, i looked up,â azzi recalled. her voice was low and soft.
paige closed her eyes, taking herself back to that moment. by then, sheâd already fallen in love with azzi, she liked to say. but azzi hadnât laid eyes on her yet.
azzi absentmindedly stroked the back of her fingers against paigeâs chin as she continued the story. âand you were so tall. and good looking. and blonde. and obviously gay.â
paige snorted, eyes flying open. âstop adding details,â she complained.
azzi grinned at her, way too pleased with herself. âitâs true, though. i knew immediately.â
paige rolled her eyes, putting on a show of annoyance that was completely counteracted by the way she slipped her hand under azziâs shirt to feel at the warm skin of her waist. azzi giggled and tapped her lip, pretending to need to think about what happened next. as if she hadnât told paige this story once a month since theyâd started dating.
âanyway,â she said, âdonât interrupt me.â paige blinked at her, patiently waiting for her to continue. âi looked up at you, and my heart, like, stopped in my chest.â
paige grinned, unable to help herself. this was her favorite part of the story.
âbecause i didnât know what your personality was like yet,â azzi added.
paige scoffed. âstop, bruh. youâre so full of shit.â
azzi smiled at her again, little dimple peaking out to rub in just how much paigeâs girlfriend loved ragebaiting her. then she took in a breath and let it out in a puff that was so cute, paige was overcome with the desire to kiss her senseless. but then she wouldnât get the rest of her story. drawing on all her strength, paige refrained.
âand then i had to read the book and not look over at you because i wouldâve stuttered or something,â azzi continued. âthat was hard. i really wanted to look at you. i remember thinking that at least mila was sitting in my lap and youâd have to come back over to collect her. and iâd get to talk to you then. or at least look at you.â
âgay,â paige commented.
azzi gave her a flat look before continuing as if she hadnât spoken. âand then you did come over, and you werenât milaâs mom, and you were babysitting as a twenty-something year old, and i wanted to stay with the two of you as long as i could. so i asked mila if she wanted to see the other bluey books we had.â
paige nodded. âletâs skip this part because you donât talk to me for the next fifteen minutes literally at all,â she said.
azzi laughed at her. âi was talking to mila! i was being a good librarian.â
âyou were stealing my job and my kid,â paige corrected.
azzi rolled her eyes. then she shuffled a little closer to paige on the bed, and paigeâs chest burst into a kaleidoscope of butterflies. âwhatever.â azzi pursed her lips again in thought, presumably trying to remember the next interaction she and paige had. âoh, right,â she said, meeting paigeâs eyes again. âthen i lied and said you were good with her.â
paige groaned and turned her head to the ceiling. âyouâre so annoying, bruh.â
azzi giggled, reaching out to hook a finger under the collar of paigeâs shirt again. âwell i didnât know that to say,â she said. âi just wanted to talk to you.â
paige turned back to azzi and blew a sharp breath in her face. azzi scrunched up her eyes as it hit her. âcontinue,â paige said.
azzi looked away as she recalled the next events, her finger moving up to draw gentle lines down paigeâs neck and collarbone. âyou got all awkward and surprised,â she said. âand i laughed at you.â
she returned her gaze to paigeâs with a smug little grin. paige pursed her lips, unable to argue with the objectively accurate account. azzi smiled wider.
âyou looked really cute,â she said, placating. âand thatâs when i started wondering if you liked me, too.â she moved her hand up to draw the pad of her thumb over the line of paigeâs jaw. âbut then you left the library, so i figured i was wrong.â
paige closed her eyes, cringing at her past self. âsorry,â she said.
azzi giggled. âitâs okay,â she said. âyou came back. running.â
paige felt her face heat as she re-imagined what the scene mustâve looked like from azziâs perspective. from the perspective of everyone else at the library. god. how embarrassing.
âand then you asked for my name, and you said it was pretty,â azzi said. for the first time since sheâd started telling the story, azzi became visibly affected by the memory. her eyes turned distant and melty, and her face had softened into a whispered smile. paige felt the urge to kiss her senseless well up again.
âit is pretty,â she said instead. âyouâre pretty.â
azzi looked up at her and smiled. âthank you,â she said softly. they looked at each other, sharing breath and warmth, and paige could tell azzi was debating whether or not she wanted to continue the story. she wondered what option azzi was weighing it against.
then azzi looked away and snapped back to herself with a quiet laugh. âand then you tried to leave,â she said. âagain.â
paige closed her eyes against the embarrassment. âi didnât know if you were even gay,â she said in defense. it was what she always said at this point in the story.
âi know, i know,â azzi said. âthatâs why i told you when i got off work. and the rest is history.â
paige ran her hand up azziâs shirt until it was splayed against her upper back. then she pressed azzi into herself until their chests were flush. âthatâs a good story,â she said against azziâs mouth.
âyeah?â azzi murmured, the corners of her mouth turning up. she slotted her knee between paigeâs legs, joining in her girlfriendâs efforts to make them one body.
paige nodded. âyou should tell it at our wedding.â
azziâs face lit up, her brows raising as her grin grew into a full smile. âoh, really?â she asked. âthatâs presumptuous.â
paige grinned, pushing herself up on her elbow and turning azzi over on to her back. âyou know what they say,â she said, nudging her nose against azziâs and huffing a laugh when azzi lifted her chin, seeking a kiss. âwhen you know, you know.â
