in which you and one of your teammates get a little too playful on live, and Grace has to play it cool. But can she really?
warnings: smut, dom!grace x fem!reader
Grace props her phone up on the bench in the locker room, smirking as she hits the “Go Live” button on TikTok. “alright everyone, welcome to post-practice chaos!!” she says, moving the camera so it catches the whole team.
The comments start flooding in immediately fans and students saying hi, asking questions, spamming emojis.
Grace and Zakiyah tries to answer some questions while the chat is going fast, and with how chaotic the locker room is at the moment.
You sit down next to your teammate, nudging her with your shoulder. “watch they’re going to clip everything” you whisper, laughing.
she laughs, slapping your arm playfully, and you shove back, Grace’s smile drops for a second seeing the contact going on behind her as she watched you both through the live screen.
she clears her throat, forcing a laugh for the camera.
the chat instantly picks up:
“wait what’s happening??”
“ why she went quiet 😭”
“LMFAO r y’all peeping whats going on?”
Zakiyah starts laughing with divine as she starts reading the chat as well. Looking at Grace as she leans back pretending to read comments, her eyes flickering between you and Bella.
You and Bella oblivious to whats going on, as you both are just joking.
“guys what are they saying?, whats funny” you asked while giggling. deciding on if you want to get up to see for yourself.
Grace moves out the frame, mumbling “don’t read it” then moves back into the frame, trying to look like the jealousy isn’t eating her up inside.
“nothing they trolling that’s all” flau’jae said while reading the comments now
you were confused, trying to put your headband on before getting up to see the comments, bella snatched it from you playfully, with a smirk on her face.
“Bella give it back, i’m not playing” you laughed, tugging it back. She pulled, you pulled it
“you were playing a minute ago, what happened?” she laughed.
Grace watching you two with the biggest mug on her face, not even caring about the live right now.
Both of you laughing as the headband wobbled between you.
“anyways.. what are they saying” you say about to read the chat.
“grace fix your face”
“nah there’s definitely something going on between her and bella”
“grace why did your mood just change out of nowhere😭”
“how was practice?”
“practice was good guys, thanks for asking” divine replies to the comment. Trying to ignore the other comments
grace nods, looking turned off.
“yea it was alright”, she adds on putting on her hoodie, looking like shes ready to leave.
“oh please, me and Bella mess around like that all the time,” you said with a small laugh. “y’all must be new.”
“exactly, i don’t know why y’all always have to make something weird” Bella adds on
“right” grace mumbles, you shoot her a quick look confused to why she has an attitude.
the locker room suddenly goes quiet peeping whats going on between you and Grace
bella’s lets out a quiet laugh now understanding whats going on, “uh, guys I’m gonna start to head out i have homework” she says grabbing her bag awkwardly. “bye live” she waves.
“yeah, i was just about to end this live anyways” Grace said snatching her phone, before anyone could get to say bye.
“Grace, are you serious right now?” you said, dropping your bag by the door, finally back at the dorms. “you’re really mad at me because I was joking around with Bella?”
Grace kicked of her slides, clearly annoyed. “Im not mad”
You let out a small laugh. “you literally stormed out the locker room after getting off live”
she took her hoodie off, tossing it onto the chair. “yeah because y’all were doing to much”
You stared at her, “we were fighting over a headband Grace.”
“yeah, i saw and so did everyone else” she mumbled
“um, okay and?” you followed her into the room, “you know me and Bella always play like that, so what’s the problem now?”
“the problem is me having to sit there and act like all that touching and giggling wasn’t getting to me” she said now turning to you. “do you like seeing all the comments and posts saying you and Bella might have something going on?” she says staring at you. “cause i don’t”
“well i don’t feed in to that stuff and you shouldn’t either, because I’m right where i want to be, with you”
“yeah?” she said moving closer to you.
“yes i’m serious” you said looking up at her
smut ahead
“really? because its not what it looks like” she said as her hand creeped around your neck
“you look so sexy jealous” you cooed. As she began to kiss you, tightening her grip on your neck. “I want you out these clothes now” she demanded tugging on your shirt.
you didn’t waste no time
“you wanna make me look like a fool on live right?, better hope I show you some sympathy” she said with a small laugh, attaching the harness to her waist.
suddenly, she flipped you on all fours, lining up with your entrance and slamming into you with no warning, beginning to take her anger out on you. “sh-shit wait, sl-slow down” you stuttered. “nah, you can take it” she said grabbing your hair roughly, your back now meeting her chest.
you moaned, grabbing onto her muscular arms. “i’m sorry, i-i won’t do it again”
“yeah? say she can’t fuck you like this” grace said in a sharp tone. “she can’t fu-fuck me like this” whining as she yanked your hair again before letting go. Making you collapse into the pillow struggling find stability.
“fix your arch” she said, slapping your ass.
you jerk from the sting “i’m gonna cum” you said as your breath hitched.
you felt your stomach knot up, as your release approached, only to be left with an empty feeling.
“you think you deserve to cum?” she laughed at you. “please” you panted, turning around to look at her. “you gotta work for it baby” she teased.
Pairing: Grace Knox x Gf Reader (Bella Hines Mentioned)
Type: One Shot (Requested)
Warnings: None (Fluff? Maybe? Ish?)
Word Count: 555 (Ik its short)
Synopsis: Jealousy doesn’t always shout. Sometimes it sits quiet in the chest, waiting to be noticed.
A/N: I have been obsessed with grace Knox and Bella Hines recently so heres a short one shot that was requested. Also ik that this is quite short but i js wanted to write something quick cause there is not enough out there for grace and bella. Feel free to send any requests for Bella or Grace or other players as well💗Masterlist Link💗
It’s just that she walks into the gym expecting to see you — maybe on your phone, maybe chatting with someone she knows — and instead she sees you laughing, head tipped back, completely relaxed.
With Bella Hines.
Grace slows her steps without realizing it.
Bella’s leaning against the bleachers, arms crossed, saying something animated. You’re close — not too close, but close enough that Grace’s chest tightens anyway. Close enough that Bella nudges your arm when she laughs and you don’t pull away.
Grace tells herself it’s nothing.
Bella’s a friend.
You’re allowed to have friends.
Grace isn’t the jealous type.
Still, she lingers by the doorway longer than necessary, pretending to retie her shoe while her eyes keep drifting back to the two of you.
You smile at something Bella says — the real one. The soft one. The one Grace usually gets when it’s late and you’re curled up together and the world feels small.
Grace swallows.
By the time you notice her, it’s already too late.
“Hey!” you call, waving. “We were just—”
Grace nods, forcing a smile that doesn’t quite reach her eyes. “I can see.”
Bella glances between the two of you, immediately clocking the shift. She straightens. “I should probably get going anyway.”
“Already?” you ask.
Grace raises an eyebrow before she can stop herself.
Bella chuckles awkwardly. “Yeah. I’ll text you later, okay?”
You nod, completely oblivious, and give Bella a quick hug before she leaves.
Grace watches the entire thing.
In silence.
It isn’t until you’re walking back to the car together that you feel it — the way Grace’s hand slips into yours slower than usual, grip a little tighter.
“You okay?” you ask.
She hums. Noncommittal.
“Grace.”
She exhales through her nose. “You seemed… comfortable.”
You frown. “With Bella?”
“Yeah,” she says, too quickly. “Very.”
Something clicks.
You stop walking. “Wait. Are you jealous?”
Grace turns to you, jaw tight. “No.”
You tilt your head. “That was the fastest ‘no’ I’ve ever heard.”
She sighs, shoulders dropping a fraction. “I just— I don’t love the way she looks at you.”
You blink. “How does she look at me?”
“Like she’s impressed,” Grace mutters. “Like she wants your attention.”
You soften immediately.
“Grace,” you say gently. “Bella knows we’re together.”
“I know,” she says. “That doesn’t stop people.”
You step closer, hands settling at her waist. “Is that what this is really about?”
She doesn’t answer right away.
Then, quietly: “I don’t like sharing you.”
Your heart twists — not because it’s possessive, but because it’s honest.
“You’re not sharing me,” you say softly. “I chose you.”
Grace looks down at you then, eyes searching. “Yeah?”
“Yeah,” you say without hesitation. “Every time.”
She exhales, tension easing out of her shoulders. Her hand slides to the small of your back, pulling you in just enough to remind herself you’re real.
“I’m sorry,” she murmurs. “I didn’t mean to make it weird.”
You smile, pressing a quick kiss to her jaw. “You’re allowed to feel things.”
She hums. “Still don’t like her.”
You laugh. “I figured.”
Grace finally smiles — small, genuine — and squeezes you a little closer as you start walking again.
Jealousy fades.
But the way she keeps her arm around you the rest of the night?
A/n: did this with pazzi a long time ago but here it is with Grace
——-
Grace definitely has a size kink.
If you’re in public and you say something out of line she’s gripping your thighs with a strong hand, you’d never admit it but you wish it’d leave a mark.
When you’ve acted bad out in public you can expect to get tossed onto the mattress when you get home.
When you had sex for the first time she tried really hard to be gentle but she’s just so big:(
Her fingers hit spots you couldn’t imagine hitting yourself. The first time she hit your gspot you saw heaven.
She loves when you hold onto her tattooed arms when she is inside of you, gripping her with your nails.
She’s definitely the type to put her thumb in your mouth and let you suck on it. “Shh, it’s ok, just suck baby” she coos while her other hand plays in your hair.
That’s another thing Grace loves shuffling your hair as if to further highlight the size difference. “My pretty girl”.
If you can’t reach something she simply gets it for you. She really has no issues with that.
She makes you sit in her lap while you watch tv. She pats your back and soothes you, whispering in your ear. “You’re so beautiful mama” and you rub your head in her chest.
Her arms around your waist make a noticeable difference of size. It makes you shy when you think about it for a second too long.
When you wear her number or her hoodies it’s a given that you’re going to be sore the next day.
You didn’t realize how quickly you can cum until you started being intimate with Grace. It’s so natural for her to make you feel so good.
The first time you rode her strap she had to teach you because it was hard for you to go all the way down. “It’s ok baby, I got u” she whispered.
She can easily pick you up and toss you and that simple fact makes you wet all the time.
The first thing I notice when I wake up is how heavy everything feels.
Not physically…well, okay, maybe a little physically; but mostly in my head. Like there’s a weight pressing behind my eyes, like even thinking too hard might make something snap.
I stare up at my ceiling for a long second.
Dance practice at 7. Conditioning at 10. Class at 12. Film at 2. Homework… somewhere in between. And then do it all again tomorrow.
“Yeah,” I mumble to myself, dragging my hands down my face. “We’re not doing this today.”
I sit up, looking around my room—my little section of the dorm that’s supposed to feel like mine. Supposed to feel like a break from everything.
Instead, it just looks… cluttered. Messy. Like my brain.
Clothes draped over the chair. Shoes kicked off wherever. My desk stacked with notebooks and half-finished assignments. My bed unmade, blankets twisted like I fought them in my sleep.
I exhale slowly.
“I need a reset.”
By the time I grab my phone, I’ve already decided.
I text Bella first.
me: i’m rearranging my room
me: like fully. everything.
me: i need help before i lose my mind
She replies in less than ten seconds.
bella 💕: say less
bella 💕: i’m on my way
I smile, just a little.
Then I text Grace.
me: bring your strong arms
me: we’re moving furniture
grace 🐐: LMAO
grace 🐐: i knew today felt like manual labor
grace 🐐: i’ll be there
I toss my phone onto my bed and stand up, rolling my shoulders.
“Okay,” I mutter. “Let’s fix this.”
I’ve already started dragging my dresser across the floor when I hear the door burst open.
“WHY does it look like a tornado hit in here—oh wait, that’s just you.”
I don’t even turn around. “Hi, Grace.”
She snorts. “Hi, menace.”
Bella walks in right after her, softer, quieter; but the second her eyes land on me, she smiles like I’m the only thing in the room.
And yeah.
That helps more than anything.
“Hey, baby,” she says.
I drop the corner of my rug I was trying to reposition and walk straight over to her, wrapping my arms around her waist without hesitation.
“Hi,” I mumble into her shoulder.
Her hands slide up my back, slow and comforting. “Rough morning?”
I nod against her.
Grace makes a gagging noise. “Oh brother. We just got here.”
I pull back just enough to glare at her. “You can leave.”
“Nope,” she says, already kicking off her shoes. “I’m invested now.”
“Okay, wait—wait,” Grace says, holding up her phone. “We’re going live.”
I blink. “Right now?”
“Yeah,” she shrugs. “People love chaos. And this—” she gestures around my half-destroyed room, “—is peak chaos.”
Bella laughs softly. “She’s not wrong.”
I hesitate for a second… then shrug. “Whatever. Maybe they’ll help.”
Grace grins. “Exactly what I was thinking.”
She taps her screen, and within seconds…
“We’re live!” she announces. “Everybody say hi.”
I wave lazily. “Hi, guys.”
Bella leans into my side, smiling at the camera. “Heyyyy.”
The comments start flooding in immediately.
“OH MY GOD THE TRIO”
“WHY DOES THE ROOM LOOK LIKE THAT”
“ARE Y’ALL REDECORATING???”
“bella and y/n omg 😭”
Grace flips the camera to show the room. “Okay, so here’s the situation. She”—points at me—“is having a crisis.”
“I am not having a crisis,” I protest.
“You were dragging furniture at 9 a.m.”
“…Okay, I’m having a small crisis.”
Bella laughs under her breath, squeezing my hand.
“And,” Grace continues, “we’re here to fix it. But y’all get to help decide where stuff goes.”
I perk up a little. “Wait, that’s actually kind of fun.”
“See?” Grace says. “I’m a genius.”
For the next thirty minutes, it turns into controlled chaos.
“Bed by the window or against the wall?” Grace reads.
“Window,” Bella says immediately.
I nod. “Window. Natural light. I need it.”
“Okay, window wins,” Grace declares.
We push the bed together, all three of us struggling and laughing when it gets stuck halfway.
“Lift it—lift it—”
“I AM LIFTING—”
“Grace, you’re literally not doing anything—”
“I’m emotional support!”
At some point, I’m kneeling on the floor, trying to untangle a mess of fairy lights when Bella crouches next to me.
“Here,” she murmurs, gently taking the strand from my hands.
Our fingers brush, and I glance up at her.
She’s already looking at me.
Soft. Warm. Like she always does.
“You okay?” she asks quietly, even though the live is still going.
I shrug a little. “Better.”
Her thumb brushes over my knuckle. “You don’t have to do everything at once, you know.”
I exhale, leaning my shoulder against hers. “I know. I just… feel like I do.”
She tilts her head, nudging mine. “You don’t.”
For a second, everything else fades out the comments, Grace talking in the background, the mess around us.
It’s just her.
“You make it easier,” I admit softly.
Her smile widens, just a little. “Good. That’s the goal.”
From across the room…
“OH MY GOD,” Grace groans. “Can you two NOT be in a rom-com for five minutes?”
We both burst out laughing.
Later, we’re reorganizing my desk when I glance over at Grace, who’s reading comments out loud.
“Someone said we’re the cutest trio ever,” she says.
I grin. “They’re right.”
She rolls her eyes, but she’s smiling.
Without really thinking about it, I step closer and gently tap her nose.
“Boop.”
She freezes.
“…Did you just boop me?”
I shrug like it’s normal. “Yeah.”
Bella giggles behind me.
The comments go insane.
“THE BOOP 😭”
“STOPPPP I LOVE THEM”
“WHY WAS THAT SO CUTE”
Grace stares at me for a second longer… then shakes her head, laughing.
“You’re actually ridiculous.”
“You love me,” I shoot back.
“Unfortunately.”
By the time we’re done, my room looks completely different.
The bed’s by the window, sunlight pouring in. My desk is clean, organized. The fairy lights are strung up neatly. My clothes are folded, my floor is clear.
It feels… lighter.
I stand in the middle of it, hands on my hips.
“Okay,” I say. “I feel like a new person.”
Bella wraps her arms around me from behind, resting her chin on my shoulder. “Told you it would help.”
I lean back into her. “You helped.”
Grace flops onto my bed dramatically. “I also helped.”
“You supervised,” I correct.
She gasps. “DISRESPECT.”
I laugh, shaking my head.
Then I glance at the phone still propped up on my desk.
“Okay, chat,” I say, walking over and picking it up. “Final thoughts?”
Comments flood in again—
“IT LOOKS SO GOOD”
“Y’ALL DID THAT”
“bella and y/n are so soft i can’t”
“trio goals fr”
I smile, softer this time.
“Thanks for helping,” I tell them. “Seriously.”
Bella squeezes my hand.
Grace pops up behind us, throwing an arm around both of our shoulders. “We ate that up.”
I snort. “You did nothing.”
“I was moral support!”
Bella laughs. “You keep saying that like it means something.”
We all end up laughing together, the sound filling my room, that finally feels like somewhere I can breathe again.
• grace doesn’t flaunt you guys relationship she doesn’t like her business being known to the public only people who know are her teammates.
• she’s big on quality time especially when basketball season arrives anytime she’s free she automatically asks do you wanna come over.
• you always come to her practices and she loves it she always looks forward to it.
• grace loves when you wear her clothes you’ll be in her closet just stealing her hoodies , shirts , pants she pretends to hate it but in reality she loves seeing you in her clothes.
• when she’s stressed whether it’s from school or basketball she gets quiet and just sits next to you and leans on you and you play in her hair while she does.
• she’s not big on pda but she’ll do little things like put her hand on your lower back , pulling you by your waist in crowded places or she’ll squeeze your hand.
• her teammates always tease her about you to be specific its mainly z and bella.
• she’s super protective over you not in a jealous why though she just likes to make sure you’re good and that you’re comfortable
• she loves taking late night drives after practice with you windows down music playing and yall just talking about each others day.
• when you’re at her games she stay looking at you when she scores a point.
• her camera roll is literally just pictures of you and her or just you they’re all so random too some are blurry , you laughing , you eating , or off guard pictures of you
• when she has away games she always texts you to let you know that she landed safely
• she loves when you wear her number at her games it does something to her.
Author's Note: hi so this is lowkey my first time writing, so I'd love any feedback and i love grace idk
wc: 1.2 k
Warnings: none
Grace Knox never expected to fall in love with someone who lived 700 miles away, but here she was sitting on her bed, her laptop being the only thing illuminating her room.
After a long day of morning lifts, boring classes, and tiring practice, Grace was waiting all day for this moment.
She pressed the FaceTime button and waited…three rings before your face filled up her screen.
You were sitting at your desk, starting your nighttime skincare routine, wiping off your makeup, and taking off your jewelry.
“Hey, baby, you okay?” You could always tell when she was upset; she was doing that nonchalant act she does for the public, but she could never keep it up with you.
“I miss you.”
It broke your heart. You missed her so much, but there was nothing you could do to fix it when you were states away.
“Don’t worry about the distance, I’m right here. Only three more weeks till break, right?”
She sighed. Fall break meant that you were coming down to Baton Rouge, to not leave her side for an entire week.
“I know, ma. I just wish we were closer.”
You frowned. It was so painful being so far away from her, but it made it a little better knowing you were surprising her. Instead of coming on Monday night, you have a flight to land in Louisiana Saturday morning, so you could make it to her dorm while she was still in morning lift.
“Don’t focus on counting down the days, just put all your attention on the game against Kentucky, and the week will fly by.”
You guys chatted more after that, your days, your teams, and everything she could think of. Once it got late enough, you said your goodnights and cheesy messages before turning off your phone and closing your eyes.
And before you knew it, you were turning off your location for Grace and driving down to the airport. The flight wasn't long, only two hours of sitting next to a random kid who wasn’t taught personal space yet. After what felt like forever, the plane finally came to a stop, and you grabbed your backpack and stuffed animal and started filing out with all the other passengers.
You opened your phone to your lockscreen, a picture you took when she asked you out, you remember it like it was yesterday. You were so nervous to meet her for the first time out of high school. In high school, you two met when you both played for the USA U18. You remember being so nervous to play with people you've never met. You have always been a quiet person by nature, and being on a court in Oregon with girls who have been friends their whole lives. Your hotel roommate was Grace, and your first impression of her was that she was so cool; you loved her hair, her style, and that accent you've never heard in your small town in Missouri. And for some random reason, she stuck to you like glue. She would eat with you, sit next to you on rides, and even invite you when the team wanted to go out before a practice. However, it was only for one game, so before you guys got on separate flights, she cracked one more joke before handing her phone open to contacts. It was an innocent action to make friends; you kept trying to remind yourself that while you typed in your number, even though your face was burning.
Ever since then, you guys kept in touch, and after months of tiptoeing between the lines of friendship and something more, she ordered a giant glitter bouquet with letters sewn across the front sash, “May I be your girlfriend?” to your door with a box of all your favorite treats. You giggled for hours over it and talked so much in practice that your teammates were worried.
You smiled to yourself and shook your head. You always got distracted when you thought about her. She was just so perfect, and you couldn’t wait to love you in person as she deserves. Your phone read 9:17 AM, which meant you had just under an hour to make it to her dorm and set everything up. Lucky for you, you met Grace’s bestfriend ZaKiyah, months ago, so she was more than happy to give you a ride from the airport.
Once you put your bag down in the back and sit in the front seat, she already starts smiling and turning up the music. “Thank god you’re here. It’s been torture listening to Grace, all she does is complain about how much she misses you and asks Coach when we can play South Carolina.” You can’t help but giggle, "You're lucky I came, you know SC would destroy y'all". She rolls her eyes while smiling before pulling out of the parking lot.
Sneaking into the dorms was easy, and once you set up her gift basket full of candy, chips, stuffed animals, jewelry, and so many different tattoo and hair creams she's been begging for, you start to get nervous. What if she gets mad I snuck into her room? What if she hates surprises? (you literally know she doesn’t). Right before you get up to mess with the same tissue paper you’ve been “fixing” for the last 10 minutes, you hear the door click and turn. You freeze standing next to the bed, wide eyed on the door.
Grace has her head down with her backpack on one shoulder as she messes with her headphones, trying to connect to her phone. She turns around, drops her bag, and kicks off her shoes. You seriously think you're gonna pass out from high blood pressure before this girl turns around and notices a literal person standing in the middle of her room.
Then, she stands up and turns around to walk to her bed before seeing you and jumping and yelling.
She stares at you for 3 seconds before taking two big, fast strides and bear-hugging you. She wraps her arms tightly around your neck, and you bring your arms around her back and start giggling. She brings her head out of your neck, smiling while still catching her breath from being scared. “What are you doing here?” she asks, looking at you and holding your hips, just to make sure you won't disappear.
Your lips turn upward in the smallest way, and she catches it still. “I just wanted to surprise you.. I know how hard it was being far away.” You start to look away as your cheeks burn. Even after all these months, she still gets you flustered just being in her presence.
With some newfound ego, she starts to smirk. “Yeah? You came down here just so I’d shut up?” You groan, but your smile can’t stop spreading. She tries to come up to your face, but you're too embarrassed, so you start to push her face away with your hands, not hard enough to hurt, but hard enough to get her away. Grace is unfazed and immediately grabs your hands and starts peppering your face with kisses, your weakness. It makes you a giggling mess as you squirm trying to get out of her grip.
Eventually, she lets up and drops your hands and puts hers back on your hips, rubbing small, slow circles with her thumbs. “Thank you for everything baby, the gifts, coming early, being here. Seriously, I needed this.”
Softly whispering, you wrap your arms around her neck and hug her tightly. “Of course, Grace, I love you.”
And in that moment, the distance is forgotten, the rivalry is thrown away, all that matters is that she’s here and she’s yours.
summary: after a fight that ends in silence instead of resolution, the space between you and grace grows loud enough for everyone to notice—until she shows up with all the things you love, hoping it’s not already too late to be chosen.
practice ends the way it always does—whistles sharp, bodies tired, grace already somewhere else mentally. you can tell before she even peels her jersey off.
her jaw is tight. answers clipped. she doesn’t look at you when you hand her the water bottle.
“you good?” you ask quietly, trying to keep it light. “i’m fine,” she says, too fast.
that’s when you know you’re not getting her tonight.
the walk to the parking lot is silent. the kind that presses against your ears until you want to scream just to break it. cicadas buzz. someone laughs across the lot. the world keeps functioning like nothing is wrong.
you unlock the car and toss your bag in harder than necessary.
grace slides into the driver’s seat, shuts the door, stares straight ahead. hands on the wheel. breathing measured. controlled.
you wait a beat.
“are you gonna talk to me,” you say, finally.
she exhales through her nose. “can we not do this right now?” your chest tightens. “we’re already doing it.” she starts the engine. “i had a long practice.”
“so did i,” you snap. then softer, because you hate how sharp you sound. “i was there. the whole time.”
that’s when she looks at you. really looks. eyes dark. tired. guarded.
“that’s the problem,” she says. “you’re always there.”
you blink. “what does that even mean?”
“it means i don’t have space,” she says, voice rising despite herself. “i don’t get to mess up without it becoming a thing. i don’t get to be quiet without you asking what’s wrong.”
“because something is always wrong,” you say. “you shut me out like i’m—”
“like you’re what?” she cuts in. you laugh once, sharp and broken. “like i’m optional.”
that does it.
she slams her hand against the steering wheel. “that’s not fair.”
“then tell me why it feels like this,” you say, tears already burning. “tell me why i feel like i’m begging for scraps of you between film sessions and lifts and interviews.”
she shakes her head. “you know what i’m carrying right now.”
“and where am i supposed to fit in?” your voice cracks. “am i just something you come back to when basketball lets you breathe?”
silence. thick. deadly. that’s when you lose it.
you push the door open and get out, the night air hitting you like a wall. you slam the door, spin around, tears spilling freely now.
“say something,” you yell, hands shaking. “say you don’t want me to walk away.” grace gets out too, slower. controlled. like she’s still on the court.
“don’t make this dramatic,” she says.
that hurts worse than anything.
“dramatic?” you laugh through tears. “i’m crying in a parking lot because the person i love won’t fight for me.”
“i am fighting,” she says, voice tight. “just not like this.”
“then how?” you demand. “because from where i’m standing, you’re choosing silence. again.” she doesn’t answer.
you stare at her, waiting. hoping. your heart practically begging her to close the distance, grab your wrist, say don’t go. she doesn’t. her jaw tightens. “i can’t chase you every time things get hard.”
something in you breaks clean.
“i didn’t ask you to chase me,” you whisper. “i asked you to choose me.” she gets back in the car. the door closes softly. final. the engine turns over.
you stand there, frozen, watching her pull away. watching the taillights disappear. watching her not look back.
your legs give out a little once she’s gone.
you start walking. fast at first. like maybe distance will make it hurt less. tears stream freely now, unchecked, your chest aching with every breath.
“i hate this,” you whisper to yourself. “i hate that i love you like this.”
your phone buzzes. one of her teammates. then another. people who know you. who like you. who saw everything.
hey. you okay?
we’re still here.
don’t go home alone.
you stop under a streetlight, shoulders shaking, hands covering your face.
you wish it was grace texting. you wish it was her footsteps behind you. you wish she’d followed you anyway—even just to say goodbye better. but the sidewalk stays empty.
and you keep walking, carrying all the things she didn’t say with you. it doesn’t explode the next day. that’s the strangest part.
nothing dramatic happens. no confrontation. no announcement. just a subtle, unsettling shift—like the air pressure dropped and everyone feels it but no one knows why. you’re still around. that’s what they notice first.
you show up to practice like always, sitting on the same bench near the baseline, coffee gone cold in your hands. you still talk to the girls. still laugh at the right moments. still listen when flau’jae complains about a media obligation running long, or when mikaylah groans about conditioning like it personally wronged her.
but you don’t look at grace. and grace—who always looks for you without meaning to—doesn’t find you where you usually are.
she clocks it during warmups. not consciously. just a flicker of unease when she glances toward the bench and your eyes aren’t already on her. you’re looking at your phone. or the floor. or literally anywhere else.
“you good?” jada asks when grace misses an easy read in a drill. “yeah,” grace says automatically. she isn’t. it’s small things at first.
you don’t bring her water anymore. you don’t linger after practice. you don’t wait by the tunnel like you used to, leaning against the wall while she untapes her wrists.
kate notices when grace comes out of the locker room and pauses, scanning the hallway like she forgot something.
“you lose something?” kate jokes, light, trying to cut the tension. grace shakes her head. “nah.” but her voice sounds wrong.
at lunch, you sit with the team like always—but not next to grace. never next to grace. there’s a space where you used to be, and no one takes it. it’s like an unspoken rule. like everyone knows better.
mikaylah starts telling a story, animated, hands flying. flau’jae laughs loud, leans back in her chair. you smile when you’re supposed to. nod at the right beats.
but grace watches your face instead of listening. the smile doesn’t reach your eyes. she plays harder. everyone notices that.
grace is sharper in drills. louder. more aggressive on defense. she bodies up an extra second longer than necessary, takes contact she doesn’t need to, jaw tight like she’s chewing through something bitter.
“she’s on one today,” flau’jae mutters under her breath, wiping sweat from her forehead.
jada glances toward you without meaning to. then quickly away. “yeah.”
after practice, when most of the team heads toward the locker room, grace stays behind, putting up extra shots. the ball echoes through the gym—steady, angry, relentless.
you don’t wait. that’s new.
the real shift hits at the first home game after. you’re courtside. same seat. same posture. same everything. except grace doesn’t look for you during intros.
mikaylah notices immediately. her eyes flick from grace to you, then back again. “oh,” she murmurs, barely audible. the ball goes up.
grace plays like she’s possessed—locked in, ruthless, unflinching. she hits shots that shouldn’t fall. dives for loose balls like she’s trying to prove something to the floor itself.
but when the buzzer sounds and the crowd roars, she doesn’t smile.
she goes straight to the bench. straight past you. flau’jae’s head turns slowly. grace’s jaw tightens just a little. that’s when it clicks for them.
after the game, the locker room is quieter than usual. not sad—just tense. the music is lower. laughter thinner. someone finally says it, careful, like stepping on glass.
“are y’all…?” mikaylah starts, then stops. no one finishes the sentence.
you don’t either. you just shrug, small. controlled. “we’re good.”across the room, grace freezes.
for half a second—just half—it looks like she might turn around. say something. correct it. pull the truth out of the air and make it less heavy.
she doesn’t.
someone clears their throat. flau’jae turns the music up too loud. conversation stumbles forward without ever finding its footing again.
later, outside, kate walks beside you toward the parking lot, hands tucked into her hoodie sleeves.
“you know,” she says carefully, “you don’t have to protect her from us.” you stop. the night feels thick. your chest feels worse.
you look at her, eyes glassy but steady. “i’m not,” you say softly. “i’m just done asking someone to notice when they’re losing me.”
inside the facility, grace sits alone on a bench long after everyone’s gone.
she stares at her phone. no messages from you. no missed calls. no footsteps walking away that she can follow this time. and for the first time, she wonders if silence doesn’t just hurt—maybe it costs.
she doesn’t apologize right away.
that’s the thing about grace—she needs the right moment, the right alignment of courage and fear and certainty. and when it comes, it hits her all at once. it’s late. too late for practice, too late for excuses.
you’re curled up on your bed, hoodie sleeves pulled over your hands, phone face-down beside you like you’re daring it to light up. it hasn’t. not since the fight. not since the silence settled in your bones.
the knock is quiet. you almost don’t answer it. another knock—softer this time. hesitant. you open the door halfway.
grace stands there like she hasn’t slept. hair loose. eyes rimmed red. hoodie folded over one arm—the one. the gray lsu hoodie you always steal, always claim smells like her even after it doesn’t.
she’s holding flowers. your favorites. the ones you once mentioned offhand months ago, like it didn’t matter.
and chocolate. the good kind. the kind she pretends she doesn’t like but always steals bites of when you’re not looking. for a second, neither of you speak. then she exhales, shaky. “hey.”
your heart stutters. you don’t move. “hey.” she swallows. “can i… can i come in?” you step aside.
she walks in slowly, like she’s afraid any sudden movement will send you disappearing again. she sets everything down carefully on your desk, like an offering.
then she turns to you. really turns. shoulders squared. eyes honest in a way they haven’t been in weeks.
“i messed up,” she says quietly. “i know that’s not enough, but it’s true.” you cross your arms, more for protection than attitude. “you let me walk away.” her face tightens. “i know.”
“you didn’t follow me.”
“i know,” she repeats, voice cracking this time. “and i’ve replayed it every day since.”
she takes a step closer. stops herself. respects the space.
“i thought if i stayed still, it wouldn’t get worse,” she continues. “i thought silence would keep me in control. but all it did was show you i didn’t choose you when it mattered.”
your eyes burn. “that’s what hurt.”
she nods, tears spilling now, unguarded. “i love you. i just got scared of needing you as much as i do.”the room is quiet except for both of you breathing.
grace reaches out slowly and holds up the hoodie. “i brought this because…it still smells like me. and because i know you sleep better when you steal it.”
you laugh despite yourself. a wet, broken sound. she smiles, hopeful. fragile. then she steps in close—close enough that you can feel her warmth, her hesitation.
“can i kiss you?” she asks. not entitled. not assumed. careful.
you nod. the kiss is gentle. slow. her lips lingering like she’s memorizing you all over again. 
one kiss turns into another, then another—soft apologies pressed into your mouth, your cheeks, your forehead.
she pulls back just enough to whisper, “i’m not letting you walk away again.”
you rest your forehead against hers. “don’t say it if you can’t mean it.” she kisses you once more. firmer this time. certain.“i mean it,” she says. “every day. every version of me.”
she slips the hoodie over your shoulders herself, tugging it down like she always does, like muscle memory.
and for the first time in a while—you let yourself believe her.
ask: hii!! grace knox fan here! i was wondering if we could get grace x bratty girlfriend headcannons?
author's note: hiiii! so kaliya and grace are genuinely so freaking cute. like actually. but anyways, i hope you enjoy and i promise more fics tomorrow!! im going to work on a bunch and i have a couple in stockpile! reqs are open!
masterlist || wattpad || tiktok
headcannon 1
i feel like grace wouldn’t be as assertive with you as you would think
✶ like honestly, she really just lets you be a brat and get your way most of the time, i feel like she would secretly like it. like she would just be quiet, maybe smirking and quietly watching you as you go on some tangent complaining about something and when you finally have a break in your rambling, she’ll lean in, her voice low and barely above a whisper “you done?” and you’re not, obviously, so you just smirk, say something worse, or roll your eyes. that’s when her hand finds your waist or chin to remind you who you’re dealing with
headcannon 2
getting more into grace, honestly, liking the brattiness in you
✶ she’d never say it otuloud, but she likes that you don’t treat her life everyone else, you don’t treat her like she’s on some high horse and she’s all special. you treat her like she’s just anyone- even though she’s definitely not just anyone.
✶ she starts to pick up on your moods and notices when your attitude is just you wanting attention from her, and of course, she gives it
✶ she lets you get away with almost anything, way more than anyone else
headcannon 3
i feel like physical clinginess is your go-to move
✶ you don’t just sit next to her, you’re half on her lap with your legs thrown over hers and messing with her fingers. if she tries to move you? immediately, you’re whining and pulling her back
