honey bee ꫂ❁
paige bueckers x azzi fudd — 10.9k words
4 times Azzi related to song ‘honey bee’ by olivia rodrigo and 1 time Paige did too.
i don’t know how to explain this, but when i first heard this song. i immediately thought of paige in azzi’s POV. please watch the visualizer’s before reading here : one and two
content warning! : emotional vulnerability, overwhelming feelings, relationship anxiety, fear of loss, hurt/comfort, the feeling of loving someone so deeply and intense it saddens you sometimes, but in the absolute best possible way. happy ending obviously.
anyways, happy reading loves & tell me your thoughts as always 💭💝
—。Presented and written by, azzidefender.
ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶
connenicut, 2022.
— pick me up, walk me home. would you sit and keep me company?
“azzi, what’s gotten into you? you never drink this much.” caroline frowned, quickly reaching over to stop her best friend from taking a sixth shot. she caught the glass in her palm and pulled it out of the curly brunette’s reach, who was already more than drunk, her glazed eyes and unsteady movements making that painfully obvious.
“carolll, give it to me. m’fine, promiseee.” azzi whined, clumsily reaching for the shot in caroline’s outstretched hand. her movements were sluggish and uncoordinated, nearly stumbling into her best friend in the process. unsurprisingly, the older woman didn’t budge, keeping the glass well out of her reach.
“no, you’re not, az. you’re gonna be sick tomorrow if you have another shot. and we have practice. you never drink the night before practice—especially not this much.” caroline frowned, her brows knitting together as she searched her best friend’s face for an explanation. this wasn’t like azzi at all. she was usually the responsible one, always knowing when to let loose and when to call it a night. seeing her this reckless only made her more concerned.
then it clicked.
“is this because of paige?” the older asked carefully.
the moment the name left her lips, azzi froze, the playful haze on her face faltering for just a second.
jackpot.
“what?” the younger scoffed, her brows furrowing as she looked away. “no. why would it be about paige…?” she replied, though the slight pitch in her voice gave her away, making the denial sound far less convincing than she’d hoped.
“azzi.”
“it’s not about paige, carol.”
“well, the only time you drink this much is when you’re either having a bad game, got a bad grade, or had a fight with paige. so which is it? ‘cause i know it’s not the first two.” caroline said, her eyes fixed on the younger, already knowing she was about to hit a nerve.
“we didn’t fight!”
“but it is about her, right?”
azzi fell silent. her breath hitched as she desperately tried to swallow the sob clawing its way up her throat. a tear slipped free before she could stop it, then another. her lips quivered, trembling under the weight of everything she’d been trying so hard to keep inside, but no matter how tightly she pressed them together, the tears kept falling.
caroline’s expression softened instantly. without another word, she opened her arms and pulled the younger into a tight embrace. “oh, baby…” she murmured, rubbing slow circles against azzi’s back as the younger finally let out a quiet, broken sob into her shoulder. “it’s okay, az. shh… it’s okay.”
“i want paige.” was all azzi could manage between broken sobs, the words barely more than a whisper as they dissolved against caroline’s shoulder.
caroline closed her eyes for a moment. she knew exactly what azzi meant. it wasn’t just that she wanted paige there to hold her together. it was the quiet confession hidden beneath those three words. the longing, the ache, the kind of love azzi had spent far too long pretending she didn’t feel for her best friend. and judging by the way she was falling apart now, it was a secret she couldn’t carry much longer.
“i know, sweetie… i know,” caroline soothed, gently carding her fingers through azzi’s hair. “i’ll call her and have her come pick you up right now, okay?”
but once again, azzi shook her head. “no…” she mumbled, her voice cracking. “she’s sleeping, don’t wanna bother her.” another shaky breath escaped her. “she needs her sleep, she was tired today.”
“babe, it’s paige.” caroline let out a small, knowing chuckle, brushing a few curls away from azzi’s damp face. “she probably hasn’t even gone to sleep yet, knowing you’re still at ted’s.” she smiled softly before adding, “did you know she texted every single one of us tonight? told us to keep an eye on you since she couldn’t be here herself. she’s probably gonna kill me, finding out you’re crying.”
that finally coaxed a small, breathy laugh out of azzi. it came through the remnants of her tears, the sound shaky but genuine, as her crying slowly began to subside. caroline smiled at the tiny victory, gently wiping a tear from the younger’s cheek.
“i’ll text her, yeah?” she asked softly.
azzi lifted her head from caroline’s shoulder, her eyes still glossy and swollen from crying, before giving a small, hesitant nod.
caroline : paige come pick ur girl up rn. ASAP.
paige : what happened? is azzi okay?
paige : and why is she not replying to my text.
caroline : azzi’s drunk and
paige : and?
caroline : she’s crying.
paige : otw.
paige : i told you guys to fucking look after her.
caroline : you’ll take that back once you know the reason she’s crying.
paige : how drunk we talkin’?
caroline : five shots, she tried for six. but i stopped her before she could.
paige : jesus, we have practice tomorrow carol.
caroline : just shut up and drive paige, she needs you.
paige : be there in less than 5
caroline : you’ve been driving this whole time??!
azzi was sitting alone on the curb outside when paige finally found her. her knees were pulled tightly to her chest, her chin resting against them as streaks of smeared mascara stained her cheeks. she looked so small, so unlike herself, that paige’s heart sank the moment she saw her.
“hey, baby…” paige called softly.
the younger slowly lifted her head at the sound of the familiar voice. her red, puffy eyes met paige’s, and whatever strength she’d been clinging to disappeared.
“p…” she whispered sadly, lifting her arms without hesitation, silently asking for the comfort she’d been waiting for.
paige didn’t waste a second. instinct took over as she hurried toward her, crouching down before wrapping both arms tightly around the younger, pulling her against her chest as if she could shield her from everything all at once.
“why are you all alone, princess?” paige murmured, one hand rubbing slow circles against azzi’s back while the other cradled the back of her head. “where’s everyone?”
her voice was impossibly gentle, but azzi knew her too well. beneath the tenderness was the unmistakable edge of anger—not directed at her, but at the mere thought that her teammates had left her sitting outside in this state, drunk and crying by herself.
“i told them to go inside when they saw your car pull up.” azzi let out a watery laugh, nestling herself deeper into the blonde’s shoulder. “they looked absolutely mortified to face you.”
paige couldn’t help but smile, letting out a quiet huff of amusement.
“good call.”
they stayed like that for a while, wrapped in the silence neither of them felt the need to fill. paige held her until azzi’s breathing finally evened out, until the sobs had faded into the occasional shaky sniffle.
after a few more minutes, azzi was the one who slowly pulled away, wiping beneath her eyes with the sleeve of paige’s hoodie which the older only reply with a chuckle.
paige didn’t let the distance feel like distance. she simply lowered herself onto the curb beside her, their shoulders brushing as they sat side by side beneath the quiet night.
“you didn’t sleep? you had a long day today…” azzi murmured, resting her forearms over her bent knees as she turned to look at her best friend from the corner of her eye.
paige met her gaze, the corners of her lips lifting into a small, tired smile. “i tried,” she admitted with a quiet shrug. “but i couldn’t, knowing you were still out here.” her smile softened as she gently nudged azzi’s shoulder with her own. “can’t sleep without my cuddle partner.”
azzi smiled sadly, “you’re ridiculous.” and that was exactly why her heart ached.
paige said things like that so casually, as if calling her my cuddle partner was the most normal thing in the world. she’d hold her close, fuss over her, make her feel like the center of her universe… and then neither of them would say the one thing that mattered.
they danced around it so often that somewhere along the way, it had become normal. two people hopelessly in love, pretending there wasn’t anything to confess because neither one was brave enough to risk what they already had.
and azzi was so fucking sick of it.
and paige knew it, because she was sick of it too.
“wanna talk about it, az?”
of course paige already knew what was weighing on her. of course she did.
azzi turned to look at her, her gaze quietly sinking into the crystal blue eyes she’d been hopelessly fond of since she was fourteen. for a long moment, neither of them spoke. the silence wasn’t awkward, it never was with them.
paige simply waited, patiently.
which was almost laughable, considering patience had never been one of paige’s virtues. she’d always been impulsive, restless, eager. yet somehow, when it came to azzi, she could wait forever if that was what the younger needed.
if that wasn’t enough to tell azzi what she already meant to her, she didn’t know what was.
“tomorrow, p?” azzi finally whispered, her voice barely audible. “when i’m sober.” she swallowed, nerves twisting in her stomach. “promise me… we’ll talk about it?”
there was fear in her eyes—not because she doubted paige would stay, but because she knew that conversation had the power to change everything.
paige didn’t hesitate. “okay.” she nodded gently, a soft smile tugging at her lips. “i promise, baby.”
and just like that, azzi’s heart was hopelessly gone all over again. not that she’d ever had much of it left to begin with.
“ready to go home, princess?” paige asked softly as she rose to her feet, holding out a hand for the younger.
azzi looked up at her.
you’re my home.
the words sat on the tip of her tongue, begging to be spoken, but she swallowed them down before they ever had the chance, maybe tomorrow.
no, she knows it’ll be tomorrow.
“can we take a walk?” she asked instead, slipping her hand into paige’s with a small, tired smile.
paige’s brows immediately pinched together. “you’re drunk, az. can you even walk?” the concern in her voice was impossible to miss. she looked her over like she was already calculating how many times she’d have to catch her before they made it ten feet.
she really should’ve said no.
but this was azzi.
and paige had never quite figured out how to deny her anything.
letting out a defeated sigh, she intertwined their fingers a little tighter. “okay,” she relented. “but the second you can’t hold yourself up for more than three seconds, i’m giving you a piggyback ride. no arguments.”
azzi’s nose scrunched as a soft giggle escaped her.
“deal.”
ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶
connenicut, 2025.
— shooting stars, racing cars, everything i own just feel like ours.
“babe, can you hand me the tape?” the older asked, holding out her hand without looking up from the box she was sealing. across from her, the younger leaned her weight against another cardboard box overflowing with shoes, keeping the flaps shut. this was already the third box dedicated solely to the blonde’s footwear.
“babe?”
“…”
“azzi.”
“huh?” the brunette finally snapped out of her thoughts, turning her head just enough to look at her girlfriend. a faint crease formed between her brows as she blinked. what?
“the tape, az.” paige tipped her chin toward the roll of duct tape lying on the floor beside her, her outstretched hand still hovering expectantly.
“oh, right. sorry.” azzi murmured, quickly reaching down to pick up the roll before placing it into the older woman’s waiting hand.
“what’s with you? you’ve been spacing out a lot today, baby.” paige asked as she pulled a strip of tape across the box, pressing it down even though the cardboard was already bulging at the seams. it was holding together by sheer determination.
when no answer came, she let out a quiet sigh and pushed herself to her feet. brushing the dust from her palms with a couple of light claps, she walked over until she was standing directly in front of her girlfriend, searching her face for whatever had her so lost in thought.
paige followed the brunette’s gaze until it landed on the polaroid board pinned to the wall, one they had put together the year before. after a moment, she realized exactly which photo azzi had been staring at.
“we were so young there...” azzi finally murmured.
she was talking about the picture from her freshman year, when paige was a sophomore. taken during azzi’s very first month at uconn, long before they were girlfriends. but they most definitely had already developed feelings for each other, they were just too dumb and scared to commit to it. and that’s okay, they took their time.
and here they were now.
about to face distance all over again, except this time they weren’t just best friends. that had already been hard enough when paige left for college first, learning to be there for each other through phone calls, late night facetimes, and countdowns until the next visit.
now they were lovers.
and paige was about to be ripped away from her, all the way to dallas, fucking texas.
it wasn’t just a few hours down the road anymore. it was a different life, a different schedule, a different league. the kind of distance that couldn’t be fixed with a spontaneous drive or an afternoon together.
azzi wasn’t scared of falling out of love.
no. not with paige, never.
she was scared of missing the other. she already missed paige and the blonde was still right there, standing only a few feet away from her. close enough to reach out and touch, close enough to kiss, yet somehow already beginning to feel like someone she’d have to ache for.
ridiculous, isn’t it? she felt ridiculous.
“yeah, you were such a baby here,” paige chuckled, stepping closer to the polaroid board. her fingertips brushed gently over the faded picture, a smile tugging at her lips. “you still had your baby fat.” she laughed softly. “look at those cheeks, they were so squishy and cute”
that earned a scrunch of azzi’s nose. “so, i’m not cute anymore?” she pouted.
paige looked down at her, immediately shaking her head with an amused smile. she stepped into the brunette’s space before crouching slightly so they were eye level.
“nah,” she said softly. “still cute.” a smug grin slowly spread across her face. “just add extremely hot, smart and sexy to the list.” she reached up to cup azzi’s cheek, her thumb brushing gently across her skin.
“you’re unbelievable.” azzi scoffed through a smile, unable to hide the warmth creeping onto her face. she shoved paige away with one hand, though not nearly hard enough to create any real distance between them.
“what?” paige asked, a crooked smile tugging at the corner of her lips as she lifted a shoulder in an innocent shrug. “am i wrong?”
god, azzi loved that lopsided smile of hers. it always felt like it was reserved just for her.
she rolled her eyes, though the fond smile threatening to break across her face gave her away.“no,” she admitted with all the sass she could muster, tapping the older’s cheek softly. “not wrong.”
before paige could get another word in, azzi leaned forward and stole a quick peck from her lips. using paige’s shoulders to steady herself, she pushed herself back to her feet. “c’mon, we still got a lot to pack.”
paige, meanwhile, simply stared up at her like an absolute idiot, all wide eyes and hopeless heart eyes, as if that tiny kiss had completely short-circuited her brain.
another few hours passed. a handful of their teammates had stopped by throughout the afternoon to help paige pack, but by the time the clock crept past nine, most of them had already left.
neither of them had the energy to cook. though, truthfully, they never really did—so they settled on ordering doordash instead. now they sat side by side at the kitchen counter, quietly picking away at their cava bowls, the silence between them easy and familiar.
it wasn’t until azzi’s eyes wandered toward the dorm’s living room that she finally spoke. “what are we gonna do with that?” she nodded toward the shelf lined with paige’s lego sets.
at one point, the blonde had been completely obsessed with building them, which explained why there were so many. some she’d built just for herself, others she’d made with azzi in mind.
azzi’s gaze settled on the bouquet of roses. the very first lego set paige had ever given her.
it had been for their first anniversary. paige had insisted it would make the perfect date night, they’d build it together, then put it on display.
instead, paige had ended up building nearly the entire thing herself while azzi sat comfortably in her lap, providing what she proudly called moral support.
every time paige reached for a new piece, azzi somehow became a little more distracting, resting her head on paige’s shoulder, stealing kisses against her jaw, asking a million questions, and ultimately contributing absolutely nothing to the construction process.
“there were way too many instructions,” azzi had defended herself afterward. paige had only laughed, kissed her forehead, and told her she was lucky she was cute.
then her eyes drifted to her favorite one,
the frozen castle.
the memory came rushing back almost instantly. she’d had an absolutely miserable day. everything had gone wrong, and all she’d wanted was to curl up in bed with paige and pretend the world didn’t exist. instead, paige had disappeared with the team, leaving azzi convinced her girlfriend would rather spend the evening with everyone else than comfort her.
she’d been so mad.
right up until paige walked back through the door.
her arms were overflowing with azzi’s favorite snacks, a ridiculously soft blanket she’d insisted “felt like hugging a cloud” and tucked carefully beneath everything else, the frozen lego set.
only then did azzi find out paige hadn’t gone out to ditch her at all. she’d dragged their teammates around target because she needed help finding everything that might make azzi smile again.
frozen had always been azzi’s ultimate comfort movie. that, and moana (which paige also bought and built for her, after this one) she’d watched it well over a hundred times, and paige had probably been there for at least half of those viewings.
every single time, paige would groan dramatically.“azzi, at this point i’m gonna remember the whole darn script.” and every single time, she’d end up singing every song anyway, grumbling about how much she hated han’s guts.
that night had been no different.
after laying out the snacks and wrapping the blanket around azzi’s shoulders, paige held up the lego box with the biggest grin on her face.
“i’m gonna build this for you.”
azzi remembered staring at her girlfriend, convinced she’d never heard anything so ridiculously and stupidly attractive.
she hadn’t dared say it out loud, though. paige’s ego was already insufferable enough. if she found out azzi was thinking things like that, her head would grow three times bigger than it already was.
instead, she’d smiled so hard her cheeks hurt, watched paige spend the next few hours carefully piecing the castle together, and when it was finally finished, azzi rewarded her with kisses all over her face while declaring it her favorite lego set in the world.
paige had tried to play it cool, but the blush creeping up her neck had given her away. she’d accepted every kiss with a sheepish smile, pretending they weren’t exactly what she’d been hoping for all along.
paige glanced over at the shelf lined with what had to be at least fifteen of her lego sets. there were even more scattered around her room.
she grimaced. “i think i’m gonna leave most of these with jana and kk,” she said. “i built a lot of ‘em with those two anyway. my apartment in dallas definitely isn’t gonna fit all of this.”
she took another bite of her cava bowl before pointing her fork toward azzi. “bht yso hsve to—”
“swallow before you speak, p.”
paige obediently chewed and swallowed, rolling her eyes for dramatic effect. “but you, missy,” she continued, pointing her fork at azzi again, “have to take the ones i built for you back to your dorm. you’ve been procrastinating for months az.”
azzi sulked. “yeah, because i’ve basically been living in your dorm. i’m barely ever at mine.”
paige’s eyes narrowed, her lips flattening into a knowing line. “i think you’re just too lazy to carry them over, babe.” azzi opened her mouth to protest, but paige beat her to it.
“‘sides,” she said, her voice turning absentmindedly casual as she scooped up another bite, “i won’t be here anymore. i want you to have something that reminds you of me.”
…
the words landed far heavier than paige intended.
the knot in azzi’s throat returned so suddenly it caught her off guard. she stared down at her half finished bowl, absentmindedly nudging the rice around with her fork as silence settled between them.
finally, barely above a whisper, she said,
“…but i always remember you.”
it was true. there was never more than a day—hell, not even an hour that went by without azzi thinking about paige.
paige was constant in her mind.
if azzi felt lonely, she looked for paige to keep her company. though more often than not, paige would find her first, barging into her room or wherever she was, just to annoy her before eventually making her laugh.
if she was angry, she looked for paige to calm her down. if she was sad, she looked for paige to hold her until the feeling passed.
if she was sleepy, she looked for paige because somehow sleep always came easier tangled up in the blonde’s arms.
paige.
paigepaigepaige.
her name occupied through every corner of azzi’s mind as naturally as breathing. other than basketball and her family, there was no one else who occupied her heart the way paige did.
not since she’d met paige at fourteen.
and certainly not after her feelings had rooted themselves so deeply inside her. so impossibly, painfully deep that the mere thought of learning to live without paige made her feel sick.
paige was going to be halfway across the country.
she wouldn’t be here anymore. not to hold her. not to annoy her. not to love—
“azzi.”
the brunette blinked, pulled from the spiral of her thoughts, again. when she looked up, paige had already turned on her stool to face her completely, her half eaten dinner forgotten.
one of paige’s hands was gently wrapped around her own. azzi didn’t even remember when the older had placed it there.
“hey, hey. i know that, baby.” paige’s voice softened, her thumb gently stroking the back of azzi’s hand. “i was just teasing you. ‘m sorry if that came out wrong.”
azzi’s gaze dropped to their intertwined hands. she let herself linger there for a few seconds… savoring the feeling.
soon, it’ll be gone.
finally, she looked back up at paige and forced the smallest smile, trying her best to make it seem like she was only mildly annoyed.
“well,” she muttered with a half-hearted glare, “it wasn’t funny p.”
thankfully, paige accepted it without a second thought. she laughed, squeezing azzi’s hand one last time before turning back to her cava bowl.
“i know you’ll never forget about me, princess.” she said between bites. “‘m never gonna let you anyway. i’ll haunt you down if i have to, so you better start answering your phone.”
she pointed her fork at azzi again, for emphasis.
“seriously, az.”
azzi rolled her eyes, with a small “i will.” earning a satisfied grin from paige, and the two quietly went back to eating.
i’ll never let myself do that to you anyway, azzi thought to herself.
or me.
and nine months later?
in the bitter, freezing january winter of connecticut, azzi had stayed true to her word.
the frozen lego set still sat on the shelf above her desk, exactly where she’d placed it months ago, when paige had left.
on the opposite wall hung the pink american flag with her paige’s face printed right across the middle of it. a fan had brought it to one of their games.
before they’d gone public with their relationship, azzi had jokingly asked the fan if she could keep it while she was busy signing it.
she hadn’t expected the fan to actually hand it over. now it hung where azzi could see it every day, her girlfriend’s face staring back at her from the wall.
wrapped in one of paige’s old hoodies that had long since lost her scent, azzi lay flat on her bed, staring blankly at the ceiling with her phone resting against her chest.
three missed calls.
all from her pinned contact.
p 💗
paige was probably busy with unrivaled now.
it’s fine.
azzi repeated those two words to herself like a mantra, over and over again, hoping that if she said them enough times, she’d finally believe them.
she huffed, her thumb hovering over the screen before opening their message thread.
i miss you.
she typed the three words.
then, she just… stared at them.
delete.
with a defeated sigh, azzi tossed her phone onto the bed beside her and let her arm fall limp at her side.
her eyes drifted to the chipped, aging paint on the ceiling of her dorm room, again. tracing the cracks absentmindedly as silence settled over the space once again. it was once the two of them… laying here together.
after a while, her gaze wandered back to her shelf once again. to the frozen castle. and the tiny olaf standing faithfully in front of it.
do you miss me too?
ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶
dallas, texas 2026.
— in the dark, i’m not scared. i just reach and you’re right there
“azzi fudd the worst number one pick in wnba history.”
“how olivia miles should’ve went number one instead of azzi fudd.”
“azzi fudd going number one has to do with her relationship with her former teammate and romantic partner paige bueckers.”
“azzi fudd starts her wnba career off the bench.”
“a number one pick averaging less than 8 fg attempts, is azzi fudd really worthy the number one pick?”
“worst number one pick rookie debut in wnba history, only scoring 3pts.”
those were just some of the headlines that had managed to flood the internet in less than two weeks of her wnba career. she knew exactly what people were saying about her—not just criticizing her game, but acting as if they knew her as a person, too.
they called her undeserving of being selected first overall, as though she had somehow made the decision herself, when in reality, she had never been given a choice about where, or in what order, her name would be called on draft night.
people think she doesn’t know, simply because she isn’t online as much. but that doesn’t mean she’s unaware. if anything, she’s painfully aware.
she’d seen enough. heard enough.
it would be a lie to say it didn’t sting. not because she believed them, but because their words echoed a version of herself she’d worked so hard to leave behind.
the version of azzi that sat in rehab after tearing her acl, wondering if she’d ever make it back. the one who questioned whether she’d ever be the same player again. whether she’d still be good enough when it was all over.
those doubts had lived in her once, hearing strangers repeat them now was enough to remind her of what that felt like. usually, she was composed. and after her last season at uconn, she gained a good amount of her confidence back.
she’d learned how to keep her head above the noise. the darkest chapter of her life had come years ago, during her injuries. nothing anyone could say online could ever compare to the fear, the uncertainty, and the loneliness she’d carried during those months.
but today, for whatever reason, the words lingered a little longer than they usually did. they found the cracks she’d spent years patching up, whispering the same doubts she’d once buried deep within herself.
“you checked, didn’t you?” paige’s voice cut through the silence, making azzi flinch ever so slightly.
the older woman had just stepped out of the shower, strands of blonde hair still damp, falling into the effortless waves azzi had always adored. leaning against the bathroom doorframe with her arms crossed over her chest. dressed in nothing more than an oversized white t-shirt and a pair of boxers. her expression gentle but knowing.
she didn’t need an answer.
the look on azzi’s face had already told her everything.
“i told you not to, az.” paige said quietly, her voice carrying more concern than disappointment. the blonde made her way over to the bed, where azzi was resting against the headboard.
azzi looked, not because she meant to, but because she simply couldn’t help it.
it had been like this ever since she’d arrived. her eyes were always finding paige, stealing lingering glances whenever she wasn’t looking. though, if she was being honest, paige wasn’t much different. she’d caught her doing the exact same thing more times than she could count.
sometimes, it still left her a little lightheaded.
two months ago, she hadn’t known where she’d end up. she hadn’t known what the future held, or if life would somehow find a way to bring her back to the person she’d always called home.
yet here she was. back in paige’s arms, no longer separated by hundreds of miles. the odds of that still felt unbelievable, like the universe tied them back to each other.
paige had changed. not in a bad way, never in a bad way.
she’d grown in all the ways time was supposed to change a person, and a small part of azzi couldn’t help but mourn the eleven months she’d missed. she’d watched from behind a screen as her girlfriend navigated an entirely new chapter, seeing only glimpses through facetime calls and photos she’d send.
she’d grown stronger, too.
her arms were more toned now, her frame filled out with the strength that came from a year of professional basketball. gone was the impossibly skinny girl azzi used to tease, always afraid she’d accidentally crush her whenever they curled up together.
not that she’d loved her any less back then. if anything, she’d loved every version of paige with her whole heart.
the old, the new, the skinny, the stronger paige.
the one who acted like an overgrown kid, and the one who had become a little wiser after a year that had challenged her in every possible way.
every version of her was still paige. her paige.
and every version of paige, didn’t love her any less.
which sometimes made azzi felt undeserving. she wasn’t sure what she’d done to deserve a love this unwavering from someone who had known her for so long.
“i can handle it,” azzi said softly.
paige sat down beside her on the edge of the bed, one leg folded beneath her as their thighs brushed together. without a word, she reached for azzi’s hand, intertwining their fingers as if it were second nature.
“i know you can, baby,” paige murmured. her gaze dropped to their joined hands, her thumb absentmindedly tracing over azzi’s knuckles. she clenched her jaw, the frustration she was trying so hard to hide flickering across her face.
“‘just hate the way they talk about you.”
azzi gave the blonde’s hand a reassuring squeeze. “i know.”
another silence settled between them, filled only with the absentminded brushing of thumbs and the gentle fidgeting of intertwined fingers.
“…‘m sorry.”
azzi’s brows knitted together in confusion, “sorry for what, p?”
“for people actin’ like they know us.” paige’s eyes stayed fixed on their joined hands. “like they know what we have.” she let out a quiet breath, shaking her head. “and i’m not sayin’ i regret confirming our relationship—god, no. you know i don’t, az.”
she looked up then, meeting azzi’s eyes. “i’d tell the world a thousand times over if i had to.”
another pause. “i just…” she swallowed, her jaw tightening again. “i fuckin’ hate that they belittle everything you’ve worked your ass off for. every injury you came back from, every accolade you earned because you’re fucking amazing.”
her voice cracked with frustration.
“…and then they just write all of it off because you’re my girlfriend.”
paige scoffed bitterly. “like that’s the only reason people should know your name.”
the blonde’s jaw clenched so tightly the muscle twitched. without thinking, azzi reached up, her fingertips gently brushing against paige’s jaw before her thumb slowly stroked over the tense muscle, silently urging her to relax. “as if you didn’t earn every damn thing on your own.”
“they don’t see how much effort you put into taking care of your body to make sure you’re good to play. they don’t see the extra reps after practice. they don’t see how hard you are on yourself every time you think you could’ve played better.”
another bitter laugh escaped her. “they see one game and suddenly they think they’ve got you all figured out.”
paige squeezed azzi’s hand a little tighter, almost without realizing. “and what pisses me off the most is that they act like everything you’ve accomplished somehow stopped mattering the second they knew we were together.”
she paused, trying to collect herself, but the frustration only seemed to grow. “like being my girlfriend is somehow bigger than you being azzi fudd.”
“that’s bullshit.” paige continued. “you’re one of the hardest working people i’ve ever met, az. you’ve spent your whole life earning your place, and now people wanna reduce all of that to who you’re dating?”
she looked back at azzi, her expression softening despite the anger still lingering in her eyes. “i hate it, ma. i hate it so fucking much. because i know how hard you fought for this… and i hate it even more that people make you question it, even for a second.”
it made something inside azzi loosen, seeing paige like this.
it was funny, really. five minutes ago, she’d let complete strangers occupy so much space in her head. she’d let their words linger longer than they deserved.
but now? they didn’t seem nearly as loud.
not nearly as loud as the love the woman sitting across from her had always shown her.
her mind drifted back to april.
final four. the loss still stung whenever she thought about it. they’d fallen short, and as the team’s leader, azzi had carried more of that weight than she’d ever admitted out loud. she remembered walking through the hotel after the game, exhausted in every sense of the word, convinced she’d let everyone down.
their families had been waiting in the lobby, azzi hadn’t wanted to face them. she knew no one blamed her. logically, she knew that. but disappointment had a way of drowning out logic.
when she found paige, who she hadn’t seen in months, the older girl only needed one look to understand.
instead of bringing her toward everyone else, she’d quietly led her outside to the hotel pool, where it was just the two of them. paige hadn’t filled the silence with empty reassurance or tried to convince azzi everything was okay.
she simply opened her arms.
and, just like she had so many times before, azzi walked into them without a second thought.
she remembered standing there for what felt like forever, her face buried against paige’s shoulder while the older girl rubbed slow circles over her back, letting her say everything she needed to say. every frustration, every doubt and every feeling she’d been trying so hard to keep together since the final buzzer.
by the time they’d gone back inside, nothing about the loss had changed. but somehow, it didn’t feel nearly as heavy anymore.
that was what paige did. she never erased the hard parts, she just made sure azzi never had to carry them alone.
a small smile tugged at the corner of azzi’s lips. before paige could ask what had changed, azzi squeezed both of her hands and gently nudged her backward until her back met the headboard.
“az?” paige asked, her brows still furrowed. “what are you doing?” trying to understand why azzi was smiling in the middle of a conversation that had only moments ago left her feeling so angry on her behalf.
instead of answering, the younger swung one leg over paige’s lap before settling comfortably against her, wrapping both arms around the older woman’s shoulders.
paige stiffened for the briefest second, still caught off guard.
“…baby?” the concern in her voice lingered for another heartbeat before she let out a quiet breath, the tension slowly leaving her shoulders. a small, helpless huff of a laugh escaped her nose, once she realized what azzi was doing. “c’mere.”
her arms instinctively found their way around azzi’s waist, pulling her in until there wasn’t an inch of space left between them.
“hi.” paige murmured into her hair.
“hi.”
they stayed like that for a while. azzi rested her cheek against paige’s shoulder, listening to the familiar rhythm of her breathing.
the comments were still out there and the headlines hadn’t disappeared. people would probably keep talking tomorrow. but none of it mattered, not when she was being held like this.
because every time life had managed to shake her confidence— whether it was the acl tear, the final four loss, or now, the beginning of her rookie season. paige had always been there, reminding her who she was before the rest of the world had the chance to tell her otherwise.
and maybe that was enough.
maybe, as long as she had paige… the rest of the world didn’t feel nearly as intimidating.
ྀི︶˚ ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶
dallas, texas 2027.
— it’s too hard to describe this, in a way that feels honest. but even when i’m quiet, i love you baby. i promise.
“tell me what’s wrong, az.” paige called after her as they stepped into the apartment.
“nothing.”
“you ignoring me the whole day isn’t nothing.”impatience began to creep into paige’s voice, a slight furrow settling between her brows as she leaned back against the kitchen island, arms folded across her chest.
the younger didn’t answer.
instead, she wandered around the living room, straightening throw pillows that were already perfectly aligned, folding a blanket that didn’t need folding, picking up random things only to put them right back where they’d been. she busied herself with anything she could find, avoiding paige’s eyes as if keeping her hands occupied would somehow keep the conversation from happening.
“bro, just tell me.”
“it’s nothing, paige.”
azzi’s voice came out sharper this time, louder than she’d intended. she kept her back turned, pretending to be engrossed in wiping down an already spotless table.
“stop saying it’s nothing.”
“because it is nothing.”
“no, it isn’t.” paige pushed herself off the kitchen island, taking a few slow steps closer. “you’ve barely looked at me all day, you’ve been acting weird since this afternoon, and now you’re practically scrubbing my apartment apart just so you don’t have to talk to me.”
azzi’s shoulders tensed. “drop it, paige.”
azzi heard the blonde let out a slow, measured breath behind her before the quiet sound of footsteps drew closer. without a word, paige gently took the picture frame from azzi’s hands and set it back on the tv stand. then she reached for both of azzi’s hands, carefully turning her until they were face to face.
“baby,” she murmured, her thumbs absentmindedly brushing over azzi’s knuckles. “please… tell me what’s wrong.” her voice was soft now, stripped of the frustration from moments ago.
“don’t wanna’ fight with you.”
azzi’s eyes dropped to where their hands. a quiet, humorless scoff slipped past her lips before she could stop it. the weight of the entire day finally came crashing down.
“oh, so now you want to touch me?”
“…what?” paige’s brows knitted together in puzzlement, her grip loosening ever so slightly. “what are you talking about?”
azzi let out a shaky laugh, one that held no amusement whatsoever.
“now you want to touch me, paige?”
the accusation hung in the air between them, leaving paige completely lost. she searched azzi’s face for some kind of explanation, but all she found was hurt.
“what d’you mean?” paige asked, her brows pinching together even tighter. “have i not touched you all day?” she searched the brunette’s face, completely at a loss.
“we literally had sex this morning, azzi.” nothing about this conversation was making sense to the blonde.
“i’ve been holding your hand, checking on you, trying to get you to talk to me all day.” frustration laced back to her voice, though it was overshadowed by confusion. “i genuinely don’t know where this is coming from.”
“you really don’t know?” azzi asked quietly, her voice almost devoid of emotion as she looked into the disoriented ocean-blue eyes staring back at her.
paige slowly shook her head, “no.”
a bitter smile tugged at the corner of azzi’s lips before disappearing just as quickly. “then i guess…” she swallowed hard. “i’m the only one who’s been bothered by it.” the slight crack in her voice betrayed how hard she’d been trying to keep herself together. paige opened her mouth to respond, but the younger was already pulling her hands free.
“just leave it, paige.” she avoided her gaze as she stepped back. “it doesn’t matter anymore.” the words were meant to sound final, but they landed somewhere closer to defeated. without waiting for a response, azzi turned and headed toward the bedroom.
azzi just wanted the conversation to end.
she already felt ridiculous for letting it get to her in the first place, and having to explain it out loud would only make her feel worse. but, as always, paige refused to let it go.
“how am i supposed to know what’s bothering you if you won’t tell me?” paige called after her. “i can’t always understand what you’re thinking when you shut me out like this!”
her voice echoed down the hallway.
when azzi didn’t answer, whatever patience paige had been clinging to finally snapped. she followed her to the bedroom, pushing the door open with more force than she’d intended. it banged against the wall with a sharp crack.
“i’m trying here,” paige said, exasperation bleeding through every word. “but you’re making it impossible when you won’t let me in.”
“that’s the problem, paige!” azzi shot back, her voice finally breaking. “you’re supposed to know. you’re supposed to be bothered—but you’re not.” she yelled bitterly, blinking hard against the tears threatening to spill. “so… i already have my answer.”
the words hung heavily between them.
azzi’s eyes had gone glassy, her breathing uneven as she tried to hold herself together. they hardly ever fought like this. she could count the number of arguments they’d had on one hand, and every single one had left her feeling like this. small, overwhelmed, and wishing they could just go back to being okay.
she hated fighting with paige.
more than anything, she hated hearing paige raise her voice. it wasn’t that she was afraid of her. it was that the moment paige’s voice rose, it felt like the distance between them did too. and somehow, that shattered her more than she knew how to put into words.
the moment tears welled in azzi’s eyes, paige’s expression cracked.
just seconds ago, frustration had been written all over her face. now, it melted away, replaced by something much harder for azzi to look at.
hurt.
like seeing her cry pained paige just as much. azzi hated that. she hated that no matter how frustrated they got with each other, no matter how loud the argument became, paige could never stand the sight of her crying. the anger was always the first thing to disappear, washed away by concern.
and somehow, that only made the brunette’s chest ache even worst. because if paige cared this much…then, why hadn’t she noticed the one thing that had been breaking azzi’s heart all day?
“…i touched you, baby.” the older said quietly, her voice mirroring azzi’s. soft, hurt, and completely wounded.
“i held your hand walking to the car, in the car, and when we got out. i kissed you before we left—
“i made love to you this morning.”
her bottom lip trembled as she searched azzi’s tear filled eyes for something—anything that would help her understand.
“so please, azzi…” paige whispered, helplessly lifting her hands into the air before letting them fall back to her sides. “tell me what i did wrong.” her voice cracked.
“i just… i wanna’ fix it for you, baby.”
paige hated crying, and azzi knew that more than anyone. she barely cried, because crying, to her, made her feel weak and vulnerable. it made her feel seen.
but now, in front of azzi, all she wanted was to be seen.
“you do it when it’s just us.” the younger finally said, barely above a whisper.
“…what?” confusion returned to the older’s face as her head tilted back slightly.
“you touch me. you hold me. you kiss me.” azzi’s voice remained quiet, but every word landed with devastating clarity. “when it’s just us, paige.”
she held paige’s gaze, watching as the blonde searched her face for answers.
then she saw it.
the moment every scattered piece finally fell into place.
“az…” paige breathed, the confusion disappearing from her face for the first time all night. “you know we can’t—”
“can’t what, paige?” azzi cut her off, her voice suddenly rising. “can’t show each other affection? can’t act like we’re a fucking normal couple?” azzi laughed bitterly, shaking her head as tears blurred her vision.
“you told me during my senior year at uconn, and i agreed because you were starting your rookie season while i still had one year left. then last year, you told me it was because of my rookie season—that we had to prove to everyone we could be professional on the same team.”
she swallowed around the lump in her throat. “and i agreed to that too.” her eyes never left paige’s. “but it’s not like we weren’t together at uconn. people already know we can be professional.” her voice cracked,
“so what now, paige?”
“what’s stopping us now?”
silence.
there it was, the question she had been dreading to ask all day.
and azzi knew this wasn’t entirely fair to paige. she knew every reason paige had ever given her. she knew how important keeping their relationship private was to the blonde.
and don’t get her wrong—azzi had never had a problem with being private. uconn was proof of that. all she was asking for was to stop being treated like they were complete strangers the second other people walked into the room.
“today?” azzi said, her voice trembling. “you dropped my hand the second we walked over to phee and everyone else. you shrugged me off when i tried talking to you during practice. you were scared to even hold me in a fucking club, paige.”
her eyes searched paige’s desperately.
“i’m not asking you to make out with me in public.” she let out a shaky laugh. “i’m just asking you to stop acting like you can’t even touch me.”
“you don’t think i want to…?” the older’s breath hitched as she stared at the younger in disbelief. azzi pressed her lips together, her silence saying enough.
“is that what this is?” paige asked, her voice cracking. “you think i don’t want to touch you? hold you? kiss you in front of everyone?”
she shook her head, tears welling in her eyes. “i do, azzi.” her voice rose despite herself. “trust me, i fucking do.” she chuckled bitterly, wiping at her face with the heel of her hand.
“do you have any idea how hard it is for me? to stop myself from reaching for your hand every time we’re out because i know someone’s going to record us? someone’s going to clip a five-second video of us doing the most normal couple shit, post it online, and suddenly everyone’s dissecting our relationship.”
her chest heaved. “then the psycho parasocial fans are going to watch our every fucking move and twist it into something it’s not.”
“they’re going to watch our every move either way,” azzi fired back, tears spilling over. “we’re private, and they still analyze every interaction we have. they slow down videos, they make edits, they create narratives. there’s no difference.”
“there is a difference, azzi.”
paige’s voice broke. “i don’t want you to be reduced to just my girlfriend. you’ve seen what happened during your rookie season, az.”
azzi’s face crumpled. “i don’t care, paige.” she shook her head through her tears. “i don’t care what they say about me because i know none of it’s true.” her voice dropped to a whisper. “i just… i don’t want to hide anymore.”
“but i care, azzi!” paige shot back, her own tears finally falling. “what kind of partner would i be if i stood there and watched the world discredit everything you’ve worked for? watched people act like your career only exists because you’re dating me?”
she swallowed hard, her voice barely holding together. “i can’t do that to you.” another tear slipped down her cheek.
“i would hate myself for it...”
for a long moment, neither of them spoke. the room was quiet except for their uneven breathing, the remnants of raised voices still lingering between them. azzi stared at the floor, blinking away the tears that refused to stop falling.
and somewhere beneath all the hurt, her heart broke all over again. because she understood.
she understood why paige had done it. she knew every decision had come from love, from wanting to protect her, from wanting the world to see azzi for everything she’d built with her own hands and determination.
azzi knew that.
god, she knew that.
maybe that was the hardest part. because understanding paige didn’t make the hurt go away.
it didn’t stop the ache she felt every single time paige instinctively pulled her hand away. every time she took a step back the second other people walked into the room. every time she became someone azzi couldn’t openly love.
both things could exist at once.
paige was trying to protect her and azzi still felt lonely because of it.
she let out a shaky breath, wiping at her face with the sleeve of her hoodie.
“…i’m sorry.”
paige’s head lifted immediately, “az…”
“i’m sorry i yelled.” her voice was quiet now, exhausted.
she walked over to paige’s bed, reaching for her pillow she’d place here after practically moving in with the blonde since she arrived at dallas. she hugged it tightly against her chest before looking back at the older.
“i think…” she swallowed. “i think we both just need tonight.” paige’s expression fell. “what are you talking about?”
“i’ll sleep at my apartment.”
“az…”
the plea in paige’s voice almost broke her, almost.
azzi stepped closer until there was barely any space left between them. she leaned forward, pressing a lingering kiss beside the corner of paige’s lips.
“goodnight, p.”
before the blonde could find the words to stop her, azzi was already walking out the door.
her apartment had never felt so empty.
she curled up beneath the covers without bothering to change, clutching the same pillow she’d carried over. the silence was deafening. every replay of the argument echoed through her mind until she couldn’t tell whether the wetness on her cheeks was from fresh tears or the ones that had never stopped.
she buried her face deeper into the pillow. maybe she’d pushed too hard, maybe paige was right, maybe she was right too.
she didn’t know anymore.
the soft click of her front door opening barely registered. not long after, she felt the familiar weight of the mattress dip behind her. warm arms cautiously wrapped around her waist, as though afraid she’d pull away.
she didn’t.
instead, another sob escaped her. blonde hair disappeared beneath the crease of her shoulder as paige tucked herself against her back, holding her like she was terrified she’d disappear.
“m’sorry…”
her voice was wet. the words came over and over again, each one quieter than the last, broken apart by trembling breaths as she pressed tear-soaked kisses against the back of the younger’s neck.
“i’ll fix it,” paige whispered. “promise. ‘m not gonna hide anymore, if you don’t want to.”
azzi squeezed her eyes shut. her chest throbbed, because that wasn’t what she wanted either, she didn’t want to do anything that paige also didn’t want.
she slowly turned over in paige’s arms until they were finally face to face. “it’s not about anyone else p…”she reached up, cupping paige’s damp cheek.
“it’s about you and me. please… remember that.”
another tear slipped down her face. “i just…” her voice cracked.
“i just want you.”
“i will baby, i will.” paige closed her eyes, leaning into her touch before pressing one more gentle kiss beneath her jaw. “i want you too.”
there was still so much for them to figure out. a shift they would have to face together. but instead of running from it, or hiding behind excuses and fear…they’d face it together.
because azzi knew one thing for certain.
the love paige had for her had always been deeper than any outside noise that ever tried to come between them.
ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶
minnesota, 2028.
— i hope i never see what your face looks like goin’, a face i swear that i could spend my whole life knowing. here’s to hoping.
“you nervous?” tim laughed as he shoved the black video camera way too close to the blonde’s face. paige, who had been anxiously staring out the window for what felt like the hundredth time, slowly turned to him with the flattest look she could manage.
“what do you think?” she deadpanned. “‘m about to propose to your daughter.” she raised the palm of her hand, signaling a chop directly at him.
that only made the older man burst into an even louder laugh. it really wasn’t that funny. still, paige couldn’t stop the smile tugging at the corner of her lips.
there was never a dull day with the fudd family. which she’d hope to be her family too, very soon.
“where is she?” she muttered, immediately checking the clock before looking out the window again, then down at her phone. “she should’ve been here by now.”
“jon said he’s got her covered, they’re on the way.” jose called from across the room, casually munching on a bag of chips with his camera hanging around his neck.
paige slowly turned toward him. “bro… are you seriously eating right now?” jose blinked.
“don’t get the lenses dirty,” paige continued, pointing accusingly at him. “this has to be perfect.”
he immediately lifted both hands in surrender. “relax, dude. azzi’s gonna kill me anyway if i mess up the pictures.”
“nah,” paige shook her head with a small laugh. “she wouldn’t care about the pictures.” she paused before pointing at him again. “i do. so don’t mess this up.”
“yes, ma’am.” jose saluted dramatically.
truthfully, paige had debated hiring a professional photographer. but she knew azzi. she knew she’d rather have the people she loved surrounding her than a room full of strangers documenting one of the biggest moments of their lives.
besides, jose was actually really good behind a camera.
“don’t worry, paige.” katie walked over, gently placing both hands on the younger woman’s shoulders. “she’ll be here any minute now.”
paige let out a slow breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. “…you really think she’ll say yes?”
and before katie could even open her mouth—
“oh, absolutely.” tim answered without a second of hesitation.
“bro,” jose snorted, “are you kidding? she’s literally been waiting for this forever. i was starting to get sick of hearing her talk about it.” he fake gagged.
“so thank god you’re finally doing it.” that earned another laugh from everyone in the room, including paige. the knot twisting in her stomach loosened just a little. “i guess that answers your question.” katie smiled, giving her shoulder a reassuring squeeze.
right on cue, a car horn echoed from the driveway.
“that’s them.”
everyone instinctively looked toward the front window. “finally.” paige breathed, quickly smoothing down the front of her shirt before immediately realizing she was fidgeting again.
tim let out a quiet laugh as he lifted the camera into position. “don’t pass out before she gets here.”
“i’m considering it…” paige muttered, earning another belly laugh from him. katie gave paige one last encouraging smile. “go get your girl.” paige swallowed hard, took one deep breath and walked toward the door.
go time.
the front door swung open just as paige reached for the handle. “oh,” she blinked. “you’re back.”
azzi stepped inside with a small paper bag in one hand, kicking the door shut behind her with her foot.“yeah, i am.” she laughed, slipping off her shoes. “it’s actually kinda cute that jon wanted to go get frozen yogurt with me.”
she looked over her shoulder toward where her younger brother was still locking the car. “he usually acts like i’m the most annoying person alive.”
“i do.” jon called back without missing a beat.
azzi gasped dramatically. “you totally missed me.”
“i only took you because i was hungry.”
“sure you did.”
“don’t flatter yourself.”
azzi stuck her tongue out at him before turning back toward paige, who was smiling despite the fact that her heart felt like it was about to burst straight out of her chest.
every second brought her closer. closer to the moment she’d imagined a thousand different ways.
“you okay?”
the question snapped paige back.
“huh?”
“you’ve been staring at me.” azzi stepped closer, brows knitting together as she searched her girlfriend’s face.
“you look… nervous.”
“me?” paige let out a laugh that sounded nowhere near convincing. “no.”
“baby.”
“nothing’s wrong.”
azzi narrowed her eyes, “you’re being weird.”
“you always say i’m weird.”
“hmm, fair enough.” that earned the blonde a laugh.
“c’mon,” paige said, quickly changing the subject before azzi could ask another question. “wanna go watch the sunset with me?”
azzi tilted her head. “…now?”
“yeah.”
“you’re acting suspicious.”
“or,” paige smiled innocently, “i just wanna watch the sunset with my girlfriend.” azzi stared at her for another second before finally shrugging, “okay.” she reached for paige’s hand without thinking.
the simple gesture almost made paige lose every ounce of composure she had left.
together, they walked through the cabin and out the back door. and the moment azzi stepped onto the porch… she stopped.
“paige…”
stretching from the wooden deck all the way down the dock were hundreds upon hundreds of soft pink roses, lining both sides like they were leading somewhere. tiny candles flickered between them, their warm glow dancing in the evening breeze as the lake reflected the golden colors of the setting sun.
for a long moment, azzi just stared in awe. “baby…” she whispered, a smile slowly spreading across her face. “you did all this?”
paige rubbed the back of her neck, “maybe.”
“what’s the occasion?” the younger smiled so widely, as the dimple in her cheek deepened. paige’s favorite smile.
“what?” paige bumped her shoulder playfully. “i can’t spoil my girl?”
azzi looked back at the flowers before looking at paige again, her eyes impossibly soft.
“you’re unbelievable.”
“i’ve been told.”
shaking her head with a quiet laugh, azzi intertwined their fingers again.
“thank you, i love it so much p. it’s so pretty”
paige smiled, the apple of her cheeks forming. “not as pretty as you.” which caused azzi to roll her eyes playfully, “sap.”
they slowly wandered down the rose-lined dock together until they reached the very end, stopping just before the water where the lake stretched endlessly beneath the sunset. the sky was painted in soft shades of pink, orange, and lavender, reflecting perfectly against the still water.
paige’s fingers tightened ever so slightly around azzi’s hand. from the corner of her eye, she caught movement behind the trees. tim had already lifted the camcorder, katie gently nudging him back down before he gave them away, while jose crouched nearby with his camera ready, giving paige a tiny thumbs-up from his hiding spot.
she had to bite the inside of her cheek to stop herself from laughing.
“it’s so beautiful,” azzi whispered, leaning lightly against her shoulder as they admired the view together. “i swear this place gets prettier every time we come here.”
eleven years ago, they stood in this exact spot. right here, on the dock outside azzi’s grandparent’s cabin.
paige remembered it like it was yesterday. the excitement bubbling inside her when her tiny crush from usa basketball camp invited her to spend the weekend here after they landed. they had sat on this very dock for hours, talking about everything and nothing, getting to know each other as the sun disappeared behind the lake.
what little paige didn’t know then was that she wasn’t just getting to know the girl she’d been crushing on.
she was getting to know her best friend.
her person.
the love of her life.
for the longest time, commitment had terrified her. she’d grown up watching her parents marriage fall apart, convincing herself that forever was something people only promised until they couldn’t anymore.
but standing here now, with azzi beside her, forever had never felt more certain. because when she pictured the rest of her life, there had never been anyone else.
she wanted every ordinary morning, every late night, every holiday, every win, every lost. she wanted all of it with azzi.
labels had never been what made them. they had always belonged to each other, long before either of them ever said the words out loud.
azzi was her past.
her present.
and now, hoping. she’d be her future, too.
the woman she hoped would still be holding her hand when they were old and gray.
before the blonde could answer, the faint hum of an airplane drifted across the lake. azzi looked up first, nudging her girlfriend with a smile. “baby, look.”
they both watched as the little plane flew overhead, a trail of white smoke beginning to curl through the sky. slowly, the letters started taking shape until the message became impossible to miss.
will you marry me?
“aww..” azzi smiled instantly, completely oblivious.“that’s actually so cute.” she let out a quiet laugh, still staring up at the sky. “someone’s getting proposed to.”
when no teasing comment came from beside her, azzi frowned slightly.
“p?” she turned toward paige with a confused smile still on her face.
the words got caught in her throat,
paige was already down on one knee.
ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶˚̣ ྀི︶
