May 30
TOO MUCH
Description: Burnt out and overwhelmed, Paige accidentally snaps at Azzi for being overly affectionate without realizing how deeply it hurts her.
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TOO MUCH
Description: Burnt out and overwhelmed, Paige accidentally snaps at Azzi for being overly affectionate without realizing how deeply it hurts her.
Paige has had a horrible week.
Media.
Travel.
Stress.
No sleep.
Everything feels loud.
So when Azzi wraps herself around Paige from behind while she’s trying to answer emails—
Paige snaps.
“Azzi, can you PLEASE just stop touching me for like five minutes?”
Silence.
Immediate.
Azzi lets go instantly.
Like she got burned.
Paige regrets it immediately.
But Azzi just nods softly.
“…okay.”
Too quiet.
Paige rubs her face.
“Baby, I didn’t mean—”
“No it’s okay.”
It’s not okay.
And Paige knows it.
But Azzi disappears into the bedroom before she can fix it.
Hours later, Paige finally walks in quietly.
And finds Azzi curled up on the bed crying silently into the pillow.
Paige’s stomach drops instantly.
“…Az.”
Azzi wipes her face quickly.
“I’m fine.”
That makes Paige feel worse somehow.
She sits beside her carefully.
“Hey.”
Azzi keeps staring down.
Then finally whispers:
“…I didn’t know loving you was annoying.”
Paige physically flinches.
“Baby—NO.”
Azzi’s lip trembles.
“You always say physical touch is too much when you’re upset.”
Paige immediately pulls her closer.
“Because I get overwhelmed. Not because of YOU.”
Azzi starts crying harder.
Paige’s voice breaks too now.
“I never want you feeling unwanted.”
Azzi whispers weakly:
“…you sounded tired of me.”
Paige shakes her head instantly.
“Never.”
Then softer:
“I could never be tired of loving you.”
Azzi finally melts into her chest after that.
And Paige just keeps kissing her hair over and over apologizing quietly until Azzi falls asleep against her.
we broke up but we never stopped loving each other
Description: Paige and Azzi break up before the draft because they’re scared of distance, timing, and what comes next. But when the draft brings them back into the same world again, pretending they’re okay becomes impossible.
The breakup doesn’t sound like a breakup when it happens.
That’s the worst part.
There’s no screaming.
No dramatic goodbye.
No slammed doors.
Just Azzi sitting on the edge of Paige’s bed with her hands folded too tightly in her lap and saying:
“I think we’re trying to hold onto something that’s going to hurt us later.”
Paige remembers laughing first.
Because she thought it was a joke.
It wasn’t.
Azzi’s face didn’t change when she said it.
That’s how she knew it was real.
Now, weeks later, Paige still doesn’t know what to call it.
Breakup feels too final.
Because nothing about Azzi feels gone.
Just… paused.
Suspended.
Unfinished.
Draft night comes faster than either of them wants to admit.
Too fast.
One moment they’re pretending they don’t text anymore.
The next they’re both sitting in different rooms, waiting for their names to be called into the same future.
Paige’s heart is already pounding before her name is even announced.
Not because she’s nervous about getting drafted.
She isn’t.
It’s everything else.
The second her name is called, she hears the roar of applause.
She stands.
Smiles.
Hugs her family.
Everything she’s supposed to do.
But her eyes still flick to Azzi instinctively.
And when she sees her—
Azzi is already looking at her.
That’s the problem.
They both look away at the same time.
Like it hurts too much to keep doing it.
They don’t speak that night.
Not properly.
Just passing each other in hallways.
Small nods.
Forced smiles.
The kind of distance that feels louder than silence.
And then comes Azzi’s draft party.
Paige doesn’t know why she goes.
She just does.
Like her body made the decision before her brain caught up.
The house is full.
Music too loud.
People everywhere.
Congratulations constantly being shouted over each other.
And Azzi—
Azzi looks unreal.
Happy.
Nervous.
Overwhelmed.
Beautiful in a way that makes Paige’s chest ache immediately.
Their eyes meet across the room.
Azzi freezes for half a second.
Then smiles.
It’s polite.
Careful.
Not hers.
Paige hates it instantly.
She doesn’t know how long they avoid each other.
Minutes.
Hours.
It blurs.
Every time Paige thinks she can leave, she doesn’t.
Every time Azzi walks past her, her shoulders are too stiff.
They orbit each other like magnets fighting.
Until finally—
Outside.
Quiet.
Air that doesn’t feel like it’s crushing her lungs.
Paige finds Azzi standing alone near the back of the house, arms crossed over herself like she’s trying not to fall apart.
Paige shouldn’t say anything.
She knows that.
But she does anyway.
“Hey.”
Azzi turns.
That same careful smile.
“Hey.”
Silence.
It used to be easy between them.
Now it feels like standing on broken glass.
Paige exhales.
“You looked good in there.”
Azzi nods once.
“You too.”
Another pause.
Neither of them moves.
Paige laughs a little, but there’s no humor in it.
“This is insane.”
Azzi’s expression tightens slightly.
“Paige—”
“No, I just—” Paige runs a hand through her hair. “We break up and then immediately end up in the same world again like nothing changed?”
Azzi looks away.
“That wasn’t the plan.”
“What was the plan?”
Azzi goes quiet.
That’s answer enough.
Paige steps closer without thinking.
“Because I don’t get it.”
Azzi’s voice is softer now.
“I didn’t want to resent you.”
Paige blinks.
“…what?”
Azzi finally looks at her again.
“I didn’t want to love you from a distance and start hating how much I needed you.”
That lands hard.
Paige’s throat tightens.
“That’s not what I wanted either.”
Azzi laughs once.
“Then why does it feel like we both lost anyway?”
Silence.
The kind that hurts.
Paige’s voice cracks slightly when she finally speaks.
“Because we didn’t stop loving each other.”
Azzi goes still.
Paige steps closer again, like she can’t help it.
“I still don’t know how to do this without you.”
Azzi’s eyes flicker.
Paige’s voice drops.
“I tried to be okay with it but I’m not.”
Azzi exhales shakily.
“I know.”
Paige laughs a little, but it breaks halfway.
“You know?”
Azzi nods once.
“Because I’m not either.”
That’s it.
That’s the moment everything cracks open.
Paige shakes her head slightly.
“So why are we doing this?”
Azzi’s voice is barely above a whisper.
“Because I was scared.”
Paige swallows hard.
“Me too.”
Silence again.
But different now.
Less sharp.
More honest.
Azzi steps closer slowly this time.
Careful.
Like she’s afraid Paige might disappear if she moves too fast.
“I didn’t stop loving you,” Azzi says.
Paige’s eyes burn immediately.
“I know.”
A beat.
Paige laughs quietly through it.
“It just didn’t stop, did it.”
Azzi shakes her head.
“No.”
Paige steps forward until there’s barely space between them.
“I hate this.”
“I know.”
Paige’s voice breaks.
“I hate that I let you go because I was scared.”
Azzi reaches up slowly, like she’s asking permission without words.
Paige doesn’t move away.
Azzi’s hand settles gently against her cheek.
“I did too.”
That’s all it takes.
Paige exhales shakily.
And suddenly she’s crying.
Not loud.
Not dramatic.
Just real.
Azzi pulls her in immediately.
No hesitation this time.
Paige collapses into her like she’s been holding her breath for weeks.
Azzi’s arms tighten around her instantly.
“I’ve got you,” Azzi whispers.
Paige shakes her head against her shoulder.
“I missed you so much.”
“I know.”
“I didn’t want it to be like this.”
Azzi kisses her hair.
“Me neither.”
Paige pulls back just enough to look at her.
Eyes red.
Voice shaking.
“Are we stupid?”
Azzi laughs softly.
“Probably.”
Paige lets out a broken laugh too.
Azzi brushes her thumb under Paige’s eye.
“But I think we were just scared.”
Paige nods slowly.
“…yeah.”
Azzi rests their foreheads together.
“I still love you.”
Paige closes her eyes.
“I still love you too.”
A long pause.
Then Paige whispers:
“Can I kiss you?”
Azzi’s breath catches.
Then she nods.
“Yeah.”
The kiss is not confident.
Not polished.
It’s shaky.
Relieved.
Like both of them have been holding something too heavy for too long and finally put it down.
When they separate, Azzi doesn’t move away.
Neither does Paige.
They just stay there.
Foreheads touching.
Breathing uneven.
Azzi lets out a soft laugh.
“We’re really bad at this.”
Paige smiles weakly.
“Yeah.”
Azzi squeezes her hand.
“But I don’t want to do it without you.”
Paige looks at her for a long second.
Then nods.
“Then don’t.”
Azzi’s eyes soften.
“You’re sure?”
Paige exhales.
“I’ve never been more sure of anything.”
Azzi smiles.
Small.
Real.
Then she pulls Paige in again.
And this time, it doesn’t feel like breaking.
It feels like choosing.
don’t leave me like this
Description: After a rough loss, Kayleigh holds it together for everyone else until she can’t anymore. KK is the one who finds her when it finally hits.
The locker room smells like sweat and damp fabric, sharp and heavy, clinging to the air like it doesn’t want to leave. The fluorescent lights hum faintly overhead, too bright for how quiet everything feels. Shoes scrape against the floor, bags zip, voices stay low like no one wants to be the one to break the silence first.
Kayleigh sits in front of her locker, hands resting loosely between her knees, staring at nothing. Her jersey sticks to her back, cold now, the adrenaline gone, leaving only the weight of everything behind. She should be upset. She is. But it’s stuck somewhere deeper, like it hasn’t decided how to come out yet.
KK watches her from across the room and notices the stillness first. Kayleigh is never this still. Even on bad days she moves, fidgets, says something. Now she just sits.
“Hey,” KK says quietly, stepping closer.
Kayleigh nods without looking up. “I’m good.”
It’s automatic and wrong. KK doesn’t argue, not there, not in front of everyone. She just nods slowly, eyes lingering a second longer before she backs off. But she doesn’t leave it.
The bus ride is where it breaks. The engine hums low under everything, a constant vibration through the seats. The windows are dark, reflecting tired faces back at themselves. Most of the team is quiet, headphones in, heads resting against glass.
Kayleigh sits near the back, forehead pressed lightly against the window, watching nothing pass by. The cold from the glass seeps into her skin, grounding in a way everything else is not. KK slides into the seat next to her without asking.
Kayleigh does not react. That is worse.
“You played hard,” KK says softly.
Kayleigh shakes her head slightly. “Not enough.”
Her voice is flat, barely there. KK turns toward her, studying her face, the way her jaw is tight, the way her eyes do not quite focus.
“You do not have to do that,” KK says.
“Do what.”
“Take all of it.”
Kayleigh lets out a quiet breath that almost sounds like a laugh. “Someone has to.”
KK’s chest tightens. “No. They do not.”
Kayleigh finally looks at her and that is when KK sees it, the tears sitting right there, barely held back like they have been waiting all night.
“I messed up,” Kayleigh says, voice cracking.
KK shakes her head immediately. “No.”
“I did,” Kayleigh insists, her breathing uneven now. “I missed that last I should have”
Her voice breaks completely. KK reaches for her without thinking, hand settling on the back of her neck, grounding.
“Hey. Stop.”
Kayleigh shakes her head, tears slipping now. “I cannot stop thinking about it.”
KK leans closer, voice softer. “Then do not think about it alone.”
That is what breaks her. Kayleigh folds into her, shoulders shaking as everything finally spills out, quiet at first then heavier like she has been holding it in for too long. KK pulls her closer, one arm wrapped tight around her shoulders, the other pressing gently at the back of her head, keeping her there.
“I have got you,” KK murmurs into her hair.
Kayleigh grips her shirt tightly. “I tried.”
“I know,” KK says immediately. “I know you did.”
Kayleigh cries harder at that because it feels real, because she believes her. KK does not rush her, does not tell her to calm down, just stays there steady, letting her fall apart without trying to fix it too fast.
“You do not have to be everything,” KK adds softly.
Kayleigh shakes her head against her. “But I want to be.”
KK exhales slowly. “You already are.”
That quiets something slightly, not enough to stop the tears but enough to make them softer. KK keeps her there the whole ride, hand moving slow circles against her back, steady and grounding like she is not going anywhere.
too loud
Description: JuJu doesn’t realize how badly she’s shutting everyone out after a rough game until Rian ends up crying alone over something that was never really about skirts in the first place.
The apartment is quiet when Rian gets home.
Not normal quiet.
Heavy quiet.
The kind where she can already tell JuJu’s replaying something in her head before she even sees her.
Still—
Rian tries anyway.
Because she’s excited.
Actually excited.
Arms full of shopping bags, already halfway smiling before she rounds the corner into the living room.
“Jujuuu,” she says lightly. “Wait till you see the skirts I got—”
JuJu barely looks up from the TV.
Game film paused.
Then replayed.
Then paused again.
“Mm.”
Rian slows slightly.
“…okay but this one literally screams you.”
She pulls one out anyway.
Black plaid.
Tiny bows.
Something she specifically bought because JuJu once said she liked when she wore darker colors.
JuJu glances over for maybe half a second.
“Cute.”
Then looks back at the screen immediately.
Rian’s smile drops a little.
Still she tries again.
“And look—this one’s lowkey ugly but in a fun way.”
Nothing.
JuJu rewinds the same clip again.
Missed shot.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Rian finally lowers the skirt slowly.
“…did you even look?”
JuJu sighs softly.
“I said it was cute.”
“Yeah but you didn’t actually—”
“Rian, can you not right now?”
Silence.
That’s the moment it shifts.
Rian blinks.
“Oh.”
JuJu rubs a hand down her face immediately.
“I’m just trying to focus.”
Rian nods quickly.
Too quickly.
“Okay. Sorry.”
JuJu doesn’t notice the way her voice changes.
Doesn’t notice because she’s already replaying the clip again.
Rian stands there awkwardly for another second.
Then quietly gathers the skirts back into the bags.
“…my bad.”
And disappears down the hallway.
The bedroom door closes softly.
Not slammed.
Which honestly makes it worse.
JuJu barely notices at first.
Still staring at the screen.
Still angry about the missed shot.
The bad read.
The stupid mistake.
Until eventually—
the apartment feels too quiet.
No humming from the bedroom.
No talking.
No random TikTok audio blasting through the walls.
Nothing.
JuJu finally pauses the film.
Listens.
Then hears it.
Soft.
Muffled.
Crying.
Everything in her chest drops instantly.
She’s already moving before she fully thinks about it.
Bedroom door cracked slightly open.
Rian curled up on the bed facing away from the door.
Still in her outfit.
Shopping bags untouched on the floor.
JuJu’s stomach twists immediately.
“…Ri?”
Rian wipes at her face too fast.
“I’m fine.”
That answer makes JuJu feel sick.
Because she knows that voice.
Knows fake-fine.
JuJu steps inside carefully.
“Hey.”
Rian shakes her head.
“No, it’s okay. I know you’re upset about the game.”
JuJu sits slowly on the edge of the bed.
“That’s not an excuse.”
Rian laughs weakly.
“It’s fine.”
“No it’s not.”
Silence.
Then finally Rian whispers:
“I just wanted to show you something.”
That hurts way more than yelling would’ve.
JuJu looks down at the shopping bags.
Then back at her.
And suddenly this has absolutely nothing to do with skirts anymore.
“I wasn’t ignoring you on purpose,” JuJu says quietly.
Rian shrugs without looking at her.
“It kinda felt like it.”
JuJu exhales shakily.
“I know.”
A pause.
Then softer:
“I’m sorry.”
Rian finally looks at her after that.
Eyes red.
Small.
And JuJu’s chest physically aches at the sight.
“I hate when you shut me out,” Rian admits quietly.
JuJu nods immediately.
“I know.”
“I feel stupid after a while.”
“You’re not stupid.”
Rian looks down again.
“But I feel like I annoy you when you get like this.”
That makes JuJu move closer immediately.
“No.”
Firm.
Instant.
“No, baby, never that.”
Rian’s expression breaks a little at the nickname.
JuJu notices immediately.
So she reaches out carefully.
Slow enough for Rian to pull away if she wants to.
She doesn’t.
JuJu’s hand settles gently over hers.
Warm.
Grounding.
“I was mad at myself,” JuJu whispers. “Not you.”
Rian sniffles quietly.
“Then why does it always feel like I lose you first?”
And that—
that completely wrecks JuJu.
So she moves without thinking.
Closer.
One arm wrapping carefully around Rian’s waist.
Pulling her in slowly.
Rian melts almost instantly after resisting for maybe half a second.
Face burying against JuJu’s shoulder.
JuJu holds her tighter immediately.
“I’m here,” she whispers into her hair.
Rian grips the front of JuJu’s hoodie tightly.
And JuJu just keeps holding her there—
right in the middle of the quiet.
Rian's grip on JuJu's hoodie tightened, her breath hitching as she tried to hold back tears. JuJu's arms around her felt like the only thing keeping her together right now.
She could feel the steady beat of JuJu's heart against her cheek, and it helped calm her racing thoughts.
JuJu's hand began to stroke Rian's hair gently, her voice soft in her ear. "I'm sorry, Ri. I didn't mean to push you away. You know that's not what I want."
Rian nodded, her voice muffled against JuJu's chest. "I know. I just... I hate feeling like I'm not important to you when you're like this."
JuJu sighed, her hold on Rian tightening. "You're always important to me. Always. I just get... lost in my head sometimes. And I take it out on you."
Rian pulled back slightly to look at JuJu, her eyes still shining with unshed tears. "I just want you to talk to me. About the game, about anything.
Don't shut me out."
JuJu nodded, her thumb brushing away a tear from Rian's cheek. "I know. I'll try to do better, okay?" Rian smiled weakly. "Okay."
JuJu leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to Rian's lips. It started out gentle, but it deepened as Rian responded, her hands tangling in JuJu's hair. JuJu pulled back slightly, her breath coming in short gasps.
"I love you, Ri. So much."
Rian's eyes softened, and she leaned in to kiss JuJu again. "I love you too."
JuJu's hands began to roam, tracing the lines of Rian's body, her touch gentle yet firm. Rian shivered, her body responding to JuJu's touch. JuJu's hands slid under Rian's shirt, her fingers brushing against her skin, making her gasp.
Rian pulled back slightly, her breath coming in short pants. "JuJu..."
JuJu looked at her, her eyes dark with desire. "Yeah?"
Rian bit her lip, then whispered, "Make me feel good, JuJu. Please."
JuJu's response was a slow, wicked smile. She pushed Rian back onto the bed, her body covering Rian's.
Her hands continued to explore, her touch leaving a trail of fire on Rian's skin. Rian arched into her touch, her body already aching for more.
JuJu's lips found Rian's again, her kiss demanding, her hands sure. She knew exactly what Rian liked, what made her gasp, what made her moan. And she used that knowledge to drive Rian wild, her touch alternating between soft and firm, slow and fast.
Rian's hands gripped JuJu's arms, her body writhing under JuJu's touch. She could feel the pleasure building inside her, her body tensing as she got closer and closer to the edge.
JuJu's fingers slipped inside her, her thumb pressing against her clit. Rian cried out, her body convulsing as she came, her fingers digging into JuJu's arms. JuJu held her close, her touch gentle as she rode out her orgasm.
When Rian finally came down, she looked up at JuJu, her eyes soft. "I love you, JuJu."
JuJu smiled, her fingers tracing Rian's cheek. "I love you too, Ri. Always."
And in that moment, everything else faded away. It was just the two of them, their love, and the promise of a new start.
you didn’t act like I mattered
Description: It wasn’t about the event. It was about how small she felt in it.
Kayleigh doesn’t notice when it starts bothering her. That’s the worst part. There isn’t a clear moment where something goes wrong, no single thing she can point to and say this is why. It builds quietly, piece by piece, until it’s already there sitting heavy in her chest before she even realizes it shouldn’t be.
The event feels too warm. Not physically, the air is cold enough that people keep adjusting sleeves and rubbing their hands together, but everything else feels crowded, full, layered with voices that don’t stop long enough to let anything settle. Conversations blur together into noise and laughter rises and falls around her like waves that never quite break.
She stands near one of the tables with a cup in her hand she hasn’t taken a sip from in a while, the ice already melted down into something watered and useless. She notices that. She notices everything right now because she doesn’t have anything else to focus on except her.
KK is across the room.
Of course she is.
She’s moving easily between groups, smiling, talking, laughing in that way that makes people lean closer without even thinking about it. It’s not forced. It’s never forced. That’s what makes it worse. She looks like she belongs here. Like she belongs everywhere.
Kayleigh watches the small things without meaning to. The way KK tilts her head when she’s listening. The way her hand brushes someone’s arm when she laughs. The way she stays in conversations just a second longer than necessary like she’s fully there, fully engaged, like the person in front of her matters.
It shouldn’t bother her. She knows that. KK is just being herself. This is normal. This is who she is.
But then KK doesn’t look for her.
Not once.
No quick glance across the room. No subtle check in. No moment of eye contact that says I see you.
Kayleigh shifts her weight, her grip tightening slightly around the cup without realizing it. She looks down for a second, then back up again like maybe something will be different.
It isn’t.
And that’s when it settles wrong. Not sharp. Not loud. Just heavy. Like something sinking slowly into place where it doesn’t belong.
When KK finally walks back over, it’s like nothing happened.
“you good?”
Her voice is easy. Normal. Like this is just another conversation.
Kayleigh looks at her. Really looks this time, searching for something that might explain it, something that might make it feel less like what it does right now.
“yeah.”
It comes out short. Too short.
KK notices immediately. Her expression shifts just slightly, brows pulling together.
“what?”
Kayleigh exhales through her nose, her eyes dropping to the cup for a second before she looks back up.
“nothing.”
KK doesn’t buy that. She never does.
“Kayleigh.”
There’s a softness in the way she says her name now, something more focused, but it’s too late for that to fix anything.
Kayleigh swallows, her voice quieter now but more honest than she wants it to be.
“you were talking to like… everyone.”
KK blinks, confused more than anything.
“okay?”
That one word lands wrong instantly. Kayleigh feels it in her chest like a small drop that turns into something heavier the second it settles.
“okay?” she repeats, her voice tighter now.
“I was just talking,” KK says, like that explains everything.
“I know.”
“so what’s the problem?”
There it is. Not the words. The tone. Too light. Too easy. Like this isn’t something that should matter.
Kayleigh’s fingers tighten around the cup.
“you didn’t come find me once.”
KK pauses then, actually thinking about it. For a second Kayleigh thinks maybe this will fix it, maybe she’ll see it.
“I didn’t think it mattered.”
The word hits harder than anything else.
Mattered.
Kayleigh’s chest tightens so sharply she has to look away for a second.
“it does.”
Her voice is quiet now. Not angry. Just real.
KK exhales, running a hand through her hair.
“it doesn’t have to be a big deal.”
Kayleigh lets out a small breath that almost sounds like a laugh, except there’s nothing funny about it.
“it is to me.”
KK looks at her more directly now, but there’s still that disconnect, that gap where she doesn’t fully understand what’s happening.
“you’re making it bigger than it is.”
Silence falls between them in a way that feels louder than the entire room.
Kayleigh goes still. Completely still. Like if she moves too much something worse will happen.
“okay,” she says softly.
And that’s when KK realizes she messed up.
She steps forward slightly.
“that’s not what I meant.”
“no it’s fine,” Kayleigh says, nodding once like she’s agreeing with something she doesn’t believe.
“it’s not a big deal, right?”
KK hesitates. Just for a second.
But Kayleigh sees it.
“yeah,” she says before KK can answer.
She sets the cup down without finishing it.
“I’m just gonna go.”
“Kayleigh—”
But she’s already walking away, her steps steady even though everything in her chest feels off balance.
KK doesn’t follow.
Not right away.
And that moment is the one that stays.
Not the argument. Not the words. Just that. Walking away and not hearing footsteps behind her.
The next few days feel wrong in a quiet way neither of them knows how to fix. They still see each other, still exist in the same spaces, but everything that used to be easy now feels like it requires thought. Conversations are short. Touches are gone. Even silence feels different, heavier, like something that used to be comfortable now carries too much meaning.
Kayleigh feels it in the small moments. When she picks up her phone and doesn’t text. When she thinks about calling and decides not to. When she realizes how easy it is for distance to grow if neither of them reaches for the other.
By the time the party happens, she’s already tired of feeling like this.
So she drinks.
Not enough to lose control. Not enough to make herself sick. Just enough to soften the edges of everything sitting in her chest.
The music is louder than the event was, the room more crowded, voices blending together in a way that makes it easier not to think.
She laughs easier. Talks louder. Lets herself lean into people without thinking about it. A hand on someone’s shoulder. Fingers brushing someone’s arm. Staying close without meaning anything by it.
It doesn’t mean anything.
But it looks like it does.
KK sees it the second she walks in.
Her stomach drops immediately because she knows Kayleigh. And this isn’t her. Not really. This is something else. Something covering up something deeper.
“She’s been like that all night,” Morgan says quietly beside her.
KK doesn’t look away.
“how much?”
“enough.”
Kayleigh laughs again across the room, leaning into someone a little too easily, and this time it hits differently. Because now KK understands. Not perfectly. Not completely. But enough.
“can you take her home?”
KK nods before she even fully processes it.
“yeah.”
When she reaches her, Kayleigh just blinks up at her slowly, eyes unfocused but still trying to recognize her.
“hey.”
Her voice is softer now, slower.
“hey,” KK answers, her hand settling gently around Kayleigh’s arm.
“we’re leaving.”
Kayleigh nods without arguing.
“okay.”
She leans into KK as they walk, her weight heavier, her head brushing KK’s shoulder for a second before lifting again.
KK holds her there instinctively.
The dorm is quiet when they get back. Too quiet after everything else.
Kayleigh sits on the bed, swaying slightly, watching KK like she’s trying to focus on something steady.
“arms up,” KK says softly.
Kayleigh listens, lifting her arms as KK carefully pulls her hoodie off, her fingers gentle against her skin. She moves slower than usual, more careful, like she’s trying to make up for something she can’t undo.
She removes her jewelry one piece at a time. Earrings. Necklace. Then the ring.
The promise ring.
Her fingers pause for just a second before sliding it off carefully.
Kayleigh watches that.
Really watches it.
Something shifts in her expression.
“why did you do that?”
KK looks up immediately.
“what?”
Kayleigh’s brows pull together slightly, her words slower but heavier.
“why did you treat me like I was something you could replace?”
It hits harder like this. Not sharp. Not angry. Just honest.
KK feels it in her chest instantly.
“I didn’t.”
“you did.”
Kayleigh shakes her head slightly, her eyes glassy but focused.
“you acted like I didn’t matter.”
That’s it. That’s the whole thing. KK feels it click into place all at once, and it makes her chest ache.
“I’m sorry,” she says immediately, moving closer without thinking, her hands settling gently on Kayleigh’s arms.
Kayleigh looks at her like she’s trying to decide if it’s real.
“you didn’t come after me.”
KK swallows hard.
“I should’ve.”
“yeah,” Kayleigh murmurs, softer now, tired.
“you should’ve.”
“I know.”
There’s a pause. Quiet but not empty.
Then Kayleigh leans forward until her forehead rests against KK’s shoulder.
KK wraps her arms around her immediately, holding her close, steady.
“I didn’t mean to make you feel like that,” KK whispers.
Kayleigh exhales against her, the tension in her body slowly easing.
“I don’t like it.”
“I know.”
They stay like that for a while, just breathing, just holding on.
Eventually KK helps her lie down, pulling the blanket over her carefully. Kayleigh’s hand catches her sleeve before she can move away.
“stay.”
KK doesn’t hesitate.
“I’m here.”
She lies down beside her, pulling her close, Kayleigh settling against her chest like she always does.
Her breathing is uneven at first, then slower, then steady.
KK listens to it, her hand moving slowly along Kayleigh’s back, soft and steady until she feels her fully relax, fully asleep.
She presses her cheek lightly against her hair, her eyes finally closing.
Still holding her.
Still there.
Exactly where she should’ve been all along.
it wasn’t stupid
Description: Kayleigh wakes up already feeling off, already carrying something she doesn’t want to explain. By the end of the day, it turns into something bigger than either of them expected.
Kayleigh wakes up before her alarm. The room is quiet, too quiet, the kind that presses in instead of settling. Gray light filters through the curtains, soft and dull, making everything feel slower than it should. The air is cool against her skin, but she doesn’t move to pull the blanket closer. She just stares at the ceiling, eyes unfocused, chest heavy in a way she can’t quite explain.
But she knows. She just doesn’t want to say it out loud.
Her throat tightens slightly. She swallows it down like she always does.
The day moves around her. Practice, voices, footsteps, everything feels like it’s happening just a second too far away. KK notices by the second hour, of course she does. Kayleigh answers questions too short, doesn’t laugh when she normally would, keeps her distance without meaning to.
KK tries at first, light and easy. “Hey,” she says, bumping her shoulder lightly into Kayleigh’s. “You good?”
Kayleigh nods without looking at her. “Yeah.”
It’s flat. Wrong. KK frowns slightly but lets it go, for now.
By the time they’re back at the apartment, it’s worse. Kayleigh drops her bag by the door, shoes kicked off carelessly, and moves straight past the living room without saying anything. KK watches her go, confused at first, then a little irritated, because this isn’t like her.
“Kayleigh,” KK calls after her.
No response.
She follows, finding her in the bedroom, sitting on the edge of the bed, staring down at her hands like she’s trying to focus on something that isn’t there.
“…okay, what’s going on,” KK asks, leaning against the doorframe.
Kayleigh shrugs, doesn’t look up. “Nothing.”
Same tone. Same distance. KK exhales through her nose. “…you’ve been like this all day.”
Kayleigh shrugs again. Still nothing.
And that’s where it shifts, from concern to frustration.
“Kayleigh,” KK says, pushing off the doorframe and stepping closer. “Talk to me.”
“I said I’m fine.”
It comes out sharper this time, not loud, but enough. KK pauses, her jaw tightening slightly. “…you’re not though.”
Kayleigh lets out a quiet, tired breath. “Can you just drop it?”
KK blinks, taken back for half a second, then her expression hardens just a little. “No. I can’t just drop it when you’re shutting me out.”
“I’m not shutting you out.”
“You are.”
Kayleigh finally looks up, eyes already tired, already a little glassy. “I’m just not in the mood, okay?”
KK’s frustration slips through now. “Yeah, I got that. You’ve made that very clear.”
Silence settles, tense and thick.
Kayleigh stands up too quickly, her chest tight, her patience already gone. “I don’t have to explain every single thing to you.”
KK steps back slightly, not physically, but emotionally. “Didn’t say you did. But you don’t get to act like this and then pretend nothing’s wrong.”
Kayleigh lets out a short laugh with no humor in it. “Why do you care so much today?”
That lands wrong immediately. They both feel it. KK’s expression shifts, hurt flashing before she can hide it. “Because I care about you,” she says, quieter now but firmer. “That’s kind of the point.”
Kayleigh’s chest aches, sharp, but instead of softening, she doubles down. “Well I didn’t ask you to.”
Silence drops hard between them.
KK steps back this time, actually steps back, her arms crossing over her chest like she needs something to hold onto. “Okay,” she says.
Just that. But it feels heavier than anything else.
Kayleigh’s stomach twists immediately, regret creeping in too late. “…KK—”
“Don’t,” KK cuts in, shaking her head slightly. “If you don’t wanna talk, then don’t. I’m not gonna force you.”
She turns slightly, like she’s about to leave.
And that’s when it breaks.
“Today’s the anniversary.”
The words come out small, fragile, but they stop everything. KK freezes, slowly turning back. “…what?”
Kayleigh’s eyes drop again, her hands twisting together. “My dog. He passed last year. Today.”
The room shifts instantly. All the tension, all the frustration, it disappears just as fast as it came, replaced with something softer, something heavier.
“I didn’t wanna say anything,” Kayleigh adds quickly, like she needs to explain it before it sounds stupid. “It’s just… it’s dumb. It was a year ago, I should be over it and I just—”
Her voice cracks.
That’s it. That’s all it takes.
KK crosses the room in two steps. “Hey,” she says softly, pulling her in immediately, no hesitation.
Kayleigh stiffens for half a second, then melts completely, her face pressing into KK’s shoulder, hands gripping her shirt like she needs it.
“I’m sorry,” Kayleigh mumbles, voice muffled. “I didn’t mean to. I just—”
“You don’t have to be over it,” KK interrupts gently, one hand coming up to cradle the back of her head. “That’s not how that works.”
Kayleigh shakes her head, tears slipping out now. “I didn’t wanna make it a big deal.”
“It is a big deal,” KK says softly. “You loved him.”
That lands. Kayleigh’s grip tightens, her breathing uneven.
KK shifts them slightly, guiding her to sit back down on the bed, not letting go. Her thumb brushes under Kayleigh’s eye, wiping away tears carefully. “You should’ve told me,” she murmurs, not accusing, just soft.
Kayleigh sniffles slightly. “I know.”
KK leans in, pressing her forehead gently against Kayleigh’s, warm, grounding. “You don’t have to do stuff like that alone.”
Kayleigh lets out a shaky breath. “I didn’t wanna sound stupid.”
KK shakes her head immediately. “You don’t. Not ever.” A pause. “…not to me.”
Kayleigh leans into her again, not falling apart this time, just resting, letting herself be held. KK wraps her arms around her fully, one hand moving slow circles on her back, steady and consistent.
“I’m sorry I snapped at you,” Kayleigh murmurs.
KK presses a soft kiss into her hair. “I’m sorry I pushed,” she replies. Another pause, quieter now. “…we’re okay.”
Kayleigh nods against her shoulder, eyes closed, finally letting herself breathe properly for the first time all day. KK doesn’t let go, doesn’t rush it, just holds her like she’s not going anywhere.
DON’T SHUT ME OUT
Description: After an explosive fight, KK leaves the apartment angry, not realizing that Kayleigh is quietly falling apart the second she’s gone.
“You never SAY anything!”
KK’s voice echoes through the apartment.
Kayleigh flinches instantly.
“I do say things.”
“No, you don’t. You just sit there and make me guess what you’re feeling.”
Kayleigh’s hands shake slightly at her sides.
“I don’t know what you want from me.”
“I want you to TALK.”
“I’m trying!”
“Then try harder!”
Silence.
Immediate.
KK regrets it instantly.
But she’s too frustrated to stop now.
Kayleigh’s eyes go glossy immediately.
KK notices.
Looks away.
“Forget it.”
Kayleigh’s voice is tiny now.
“…KK.”
But KK already grabs her keys.
“I need air.”
The second the door shuts behind her, Kayleigh stops holding herself together.
Completely.
She sits down on the edge of the couch first.
Then suddenly can’t breathe.
Everything feels wrong.
Too loud.
Her chest hurts so badly she presses a hand against it.
“Okay okay okay…”
But it’s not okay.
Because KK yelled.
And Kayleigh knows she didn’t mean to.
But growing up, yelling always meant something bad came after.
So now her body doesn’t know the difference.
Tears start falling immediately.
Then harder.
Then she’s fully crying alone in the dark apartment trying desperately not to panic.
Meanwhile KK is sitting in her car gripping the steering wheel.
Angry for exactly six minutes.
Before guilt starts eating her alive.
Because Kayleigh cried.
And Kayleigh almost never cries in front of people.
KK groans loudly.
“…damn it.”
Then drives home immediately.
Fast.
The apartment is dark when she walks back in.
“Kay?”
No response.
KK’s stomach drops.
She walks further in.
And finds Kayleigh sitting on the floor beside the couch hugging her knees tightly while crying hard enough she can barely breathe.
KK freezes.
“…baby.”
Kayleigh looks up instantly.
And somehow starts crying harder seeing her.
KK is across the room immediately.
Dropping to the floor beside her.
“Hey hey hey—I’m here.”
Kayleigh shakes her head quickly.
“I’m sorry—I know I’m bad at talking—I know—”
“NO.”
KK grabs her hands carefully.
“You are not doing this right now.”
Kayleigh’s breathing keeps stuttering painfully.
KK immediately pulls her into her chest.
“Breathe with me.”
Kayleigh clings onto her hoodie tightly.
KK rubs her back firmly.
“I’m sorry I yelled.”
Kayleigh shakes her head against her.
“I made you mad.”
“You didn’t deserve that.”
Kayleigh cries quietly into her shoulder.
KK presses a kiss into her hair immediately.
“I should’ve stayed.”
That gets Kayleigh to look up.
KK’s eyes are soft now.
Completely broken open.
“I never want you thinking I’d leave you alone like this.”
Kayleigh whispers weakly:
“…you came back.”
KK pulls her closer instantly.
“Always.”
And Kayleigh finally stops trying to hold herself together.
Because KK’s there now.
And that’s all she really needed.
you’re shaking
Description: After a bad game, KK shuts down completely and Kayleigh is the only one who can get through to her.
The gym is almost empty.
Not fully.
Just quiet enough that every sound echoes.
Shoes against hardwood. A ball bouncing somewhere far off. The low hum of lights overhead.
Kayleigh finds her near the baseline.
Alone.
KK is sitting on the floor, back against the wall, head tilted forward, forearms resting on her knees.
She hasn’t moved since the game ended.
Kayleigh stops a few feet away.
“…hey.”
No response.
Not even a glance up.
Kayleigh’s chest tightens.
She steps closer. Slower this time.
“…KK.”
Still nothing.
But when she gets close enough, she sees it.
Her hands.
Shaking.
Not a lot.
Just enough.
Enough that it makes Kayleigh’s stomach drop.
She crouches down in front of her.
“…you’re shaking.”
KK exhales sharply through her nose, like she’s annoyed the second it’s pointed out.
“…I’m fine.”
Her voice is flat.
Too flat.
Kayleigh reaches out slowly, hesitating for just a second before she takes KK’s hand.
It’s cold.
“…you’re not fine.”
KK pulls her hand back immediately.
“…I said I’m fine.”
Kayleigh flinches slightly.
But she doesn’t move away.
“…you don’t have to do that.”
KK finally looks up.
Her eyes are glassy.
That’s what breaks it.
Kayleigh’s voice softens instantly.
“…you don’t have to act like nothing happened.”
KK laughs.
But it’s wrong.
“…nothing did happen.”
Kayleigh shakes her head.
“…you know that’s not true.”
A pause.
KK looks away again.
Her jaw tightens.
“…I messed up.”
It comes out quieter this time.
Barely there.
Kayleigh leans in a little.
“…it was one game.”
KK shakes her head immediately.
“…no. it wasn’t just that.”
Her voice cracks slightly.
She swallows hard like she’s trying to force it back down.
“…I keep doing that. I keep—”
She cuts herself off.
Her hands curl into fists against her knees.
Kayleigh doesn’t think this time.
She moves forward.
Wraps her arms around her.
KK stiffens instantly.
For a second, it feels like she might pull away.
Then she doesn’t.
Her shoulders drop.
Just a little.
Kayleigh presses her cheek against KK’s shoulder.
“…you don’t have to hold it in.”
KK exhales.
Shaky.
“…I’m not.”
But her voice says otherwise.
Kayleigh tightens her hold slightly.
“…you are.”
Silence.
Then—
KK’s hands grip the back of Kayleigh’s hoodie.
Hard.
And that’s when it breaks.
Not loud.
Not dramatic.
Just quiet.
Her breathing stutters.
Her head drops against Kayleigh’s shoulder.
And she finally lets herself cry.
Kayleigh doesn’t say anything else.
She just holds her.
One hand sliding up to the back of her neck, fingers threading lightly through her hair.
“…I got you,” she whispers.
And this time—
KK doesn’t argue.