tags: usa basketball, that plane ride, you know the one, baby pazzi, blurb, straight fluff
author's note: hey y'all, i was organizing all my fic notes and i found this lil blurb of paige and azzi during the plane ride that was supposed to be part of a bigger 5 + 1 fic. i don't think i'll ever finish the fic, so i thought i'd put it out as blurb, for shits and giggles. very cute, fluffy, and short.
wc: 1.1 k
tw: none :)
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paige bueckers hates airports. the way they seem sterile and frozen, like everything is too clean but also somehow covered in a layer of grime. the way the people move (more like push) like she's not even there, making the whole place seem way too loud but still not loud enough. mostly she just hates the waiting. waiting in security, waiting to board, waiting to actually get there. her skin buzzes, mind racing, like it can make time flow faster by sheer will. it’s exhausting.
she was on a flight back to minnesota, and even though she’d taken plenty of flights on her own by now, today she felt a bit on edge. like something was supposed to happen and she had already missed it.
paige looks down at her ticket, trying to figure out where her seat was when her eyes caught on familiar head of wild curls.
no way.
she felt the smile before it happened. “azzi?”
chocolate brown (or something warmer) eyes snap up to look at her, wide and surprised, and paige doesn’t let herself think about the urge to fall into them. she just swings her bag off her shoulder and plops down next to her.
azzi seems to have finally realized what’s happening. “paige, what are you doing? is this your seat?”
“i dunno.”
“what do you mean you don’t know?”
paige shrugged. “gave up on trying to figure out which seat i was supposed to be in 5 rows ago. besides, why would i want to sit anywhere else?”
a little crease forms in between azzi’s eyebrows. normally, when paige sees a crease like that, it’s followed by a sinking feeling, that eventual realization that maybe she’s too much. but right now, all she just wants to do is take her finger and smooth it out herself.
“paige, that’s not how it works.”
“no one’s kicked me out yet.”
“they’re going to.”
“nuh uh.”
azzi lets a sort of incredulous laugh. paige lets a lopsided smile sneak out at the sound. “you’re crazy. and completely wrong. that is not how planes work.”
paige crosses her arms and sticks her chin out.“well i want to sit next to you, so i’ve decided that this is how planes work.”
she looks over at azzi, entirely proud of herself and ready to let something equally ridiculous spill out of her mouth when azzi beats her to it.
“why would you want to sit next to me?”
paige can only stare at her. “huh?”
“it’s just, i’m not like you. i’m quiet. i just don’t know why you’d want to sit next to me, much less break the rules of airplane seating for the chance.”
paige inhales, searching for a response. azzi is right, she is quiet. like the way home can be when you’ve been away for too long. when everything stops and finally clicks into place. that kind of quiet. but azzi said the word like she meant to say small instead and paige doesn’t know how to tell her how big azzi has become in paige’s life without seeming like a complete psychopath. she settles on the truth.
“i like the quiet when i’m with you. it’s nice.”
azzi doesn’t say anything, just looks her with that heavy gaze. paige has to stop herself from squirming.
she turns back to her book, a ghost of a smile on her lips, and paige mentally fist pumps. “when you get kicked out of that seat, i’m going to pretend i don’t know you.”
“i’m not going to-”
“i think you’re in my seat.”
a middle aged woman is looking down at her, looking slightly exasperated and clearly expectant. paige grimaces and azzi giggles next to her.
paige stands up and puts on her best trust-me smile. “hi ma’am. you're right. this is your seat, but i would really appreciate it if you’d trade seats with me.”
she raises an eyebrow. “and why would i do that?”
“well, you see, azzi here is terrified of flying, and i would hate to leave her alone. not after we just won a gold medal together. that’s just bad sportsmanship.”
paige hears a scoff come from azzi's general direction and is very proud of herself for keeping her composure and not sticking her tongue out at her.
“you won a gold medal together?”
“yeah, a couple actually. couldn’t have done it without her.”
if this lady notices how her voice goes soft at the last sentence, she doesn’t mention it. she just sighs and holds out her hand and it takes paige a second to realize she wants her ticket. she smiles and hands it over, nearly bouncing on her toes.
the woman's eyes switch from the ticket, to paige, to azzi, and back to the ticket, with the unearned confidence every adult has when they think they're right about something. which is most of the time.
she sighs again (if sighing was an olympic sport, she would win, paige thinks unhelpfully) and moves on, mumbling something about kids and stupid young love. paige stares after her as she makes her way to the last couple of rows, worried that she might turn around and change her mind. she's pretty dead set on sitting next to azzi by now and she doesn't want to throw a punch at a middle aged lady just to keep it.
once she's sure that no one, not that lady or the plane police, is gonna come make her change seats, she drops back down next to azzi, arms flailing a little wildly. azzi doesn't look up from her book. paige gets distracted by the crook of azzi's neck that looked like it could be the perfect place to fall asleep on. she wants to find out.
"told you were going to get kicked out."
"i literally didn't."
"because you're some sort of magical charmer that can get herself out of anything."
"you think i'm charming?"
azzi looks at her then with the same exasperated face she wears when paige blocks her shot during shootaround. her eyebrows tilt up and her eyes squint in a way that makes her irises look impossibly bigger.
"not what i meant, p."
"but you were thinking it."
"no, i was thinking about how stupid you are. can't believe you risked getting yelled at just to sit here."
paige knows she's got that loopy grin on, one that slips out easier when she's near azzi. "was totally worth it."
“I only have like 2 minutes to talk, I really wanna-” Caitlin was cut off by a screech and a muffled ‘nope don’t wanna hear whatever it is you were about to say’.
Paige had seen Kate’s phone light up and start to vibrate across the counter. The blonde had just walked off to use the bathroom so she quickly answered, thinking if it was an actual call it was probably important. The phone was thrust into Kate’s hand as she returned, a playful grin plastered on Paige’s face. “Your phone rang, I thought you’d want to take that call.”
“Oh uhm.. Okay.” Kate replied then saw who it was. “Heeyyy hi. I thought you were doing a thing at Nike in Oregon?” Her voice and tone softening as she spoke. Paige nudged her while walking away, rolling her eyes all dramatically.
“I am. I wanna see you.” Caitlin wasted no time knowing it was limited and her agent would be circling back to get her at any minute. “There’s a flight later or- shit that would put me there really late. I’ll do the redeye and get in tomorrow morning. Is that okay? Unless..”
“No. Don’t uhh, don’t do that.” Kate’s heart started to race and she could feel her palms start to get clammy.
author's note: so it's been a minute...sorry about that. but i told y'all i will give them their someday, and i did! lowkey, this might get another part cause i have no self control and i always have to add another part to my multi parts (no promises tho, i just have ideas). i tried my best to follow timelines and keep everything kinda accurate, but i definitely missed something, don't hang me for it. lindsay whalen and seimone augustus erasure, i'm SORRY, i needed space for two starting guards on the lynx. there's a kid. i don't claim to know how kids are supposed to act. so again, suspend your disbelief. yeah this'll probably get a third part. fuck my life.
tw: swearing, children, and an author who should be doing lab work rn
–––––– ––– ––––––
2017, january
"come on, lindsay. tell me something i want to hear."
her agent sighed, used to paige's incessant pestering. "bueckers, you are a pain in my ass."
"yeah, but you love me anyway," paige says, tucking her phone in between her ear and her shoulder as she spreads peanut butter on a piece of bread. "you're the best agent in the country. i know you have good news."
"you're damn right i am," lindsay says. "took all of my charm and a three way deal, but i am getting you out of dallas."
paige pumped her fist in the air, flinging a bit of jelly off of her butter knife, which she rushed to wipe up.
she can't believe she actually got a trade out of dallas. it was actually happening. a fresh start for both of them.
"have i told you how much i love you lately, lindsay?"
"save it, bueckers. just send me an expensive bottle of wine."
"will do," paige says, zipping up the lunch box. "so which lucky team is getting me?"
"minnesota." paige freezes. "it'll be a good fit, they're a championship contender, plus they need a point guard..."
lindsay's voice drifts out as paige tries to focus on keeping her hands from shaking. she knew she needed to leave dallas, for her kid more than anything, but it never even crossed her mind that this could happen. which was stupid, really. there was only one team in the league that both needed her and could afford her right now, and that was the lynx. she should've seen it coming.
she should've seen a lot of things coming.
and now she was going to be on a team with azzi fudd.
fuck.
–––––– ––– ––––––
"mommy!"
paige turns the moment she hears the voice of her daughter (she was still getting used to that.) she can barely react before jordan's barreling into her, wrapping her tiny arms around paige's thighs. paige laughs, gently patting the top of the little girl's head. "hi, peanut."
the whole jordan calling paige mommy thing has been a fairly new development. paige was new to that too, to the idea of being someone's mother. jordan has been in her life for a year now, and while she'd always felt like her mom, the word hadn't come of the kid's mouth until about a month ago. paige had nearly broken down when she heard it that first time, tears streaming down her face silently. jordan didn't eveen blink, just waddled over and asked, "why are you crying, mommy?" with an innocent smile on her face. paige rushed to wipe away her tears before scooping jordan up, pressing a kiss against her temple, and whispering "nothing, baby" into her skin.
she'd never expected this for herself, but now that she's here, she can't imagine anything else. no person has ever felt so right.
but there was someone, a long time ago, that was a close second.
jordan grabbed onto two of her fingers and started dragging her towards the car. paige let herself be pulled, laughing to herself.
"how was your day, peanut?" paige asked as she buckled jordan into her carseat.
the young girl shrugs, the motion a bit stiff and awkward, but still adorable. she looks over at the other side of the car, avoiding eye contact.
paige sighs. despite her best efforts, jordan was moved from school district to school district when she was finalizing the adoption process, and now it felt like the little girl didn't feel safe putting down roots anywhere.
she just hoped a new city could help fix all of that.
"hey, do you remember when i told you i was going to ask for a trade? and we'd go move to a new place? somewhere with a big house, and a backyard, and space for all your new toys?"
jordan blinks up at her, eyes wide. "yeah?"
"well, it went through. we're moving to minnesota."
"we're moving?"
"yeah, peanut."
jordan smiles, and it makes paige melt. she watches as the idea of a new home settles into her daughter's mind, but then jordan's eyebrows knit together and paige almost stops breathing, paralyzed by the fear that she might've stressed her baby out.
"where's minnesota?"
"oh," paige lets out a nervous chuckle. "it's further up, actually. it's gonna be a lot colder there than it is in texas."
jordan's nose scrunches. "i don't like the cold. it's makes my face hurt."
"i know, peanut," paige says, rubbing her shin comfortingly. "but you know the cold means snow, right?"
"snow?"
it's unfair, the way jordan's face lights up at the mere mention of snow, like the notion of it can take away all of her worries. and paige can't stop herself from thinking about late nights in storrs, watching another girl's eyes light up at sight of it.
"yeah, it snows in minnesota. sometimes a little too much," paige whispers, poking jordan's stomache and capturing the giggle jordan lets out. "we're gonna have so many snowball fights."
"and we can make snow angels? and snow men? and drink hot chocolate after?"
"yeah, baby," paige says, smiling softly.
paige climbs into the drivers seat and takes a second, resting her forehead on the wheel. she looks up and spots jordan in the rearview mirror, who was completely invested in the way her fingers left prints on the car window.
contrary to what her friends believed, paige never expected jordan to fill the hole in her heart. she knew what it was like when parents tried to use their children to absolve themselves of their own pains and insecurities, and she never wanted to put another kid through that.
no, jordan was just hers, in a way that nothing else was or could be. it wouldn't matter if she had found jordan when she was 20 or when she was 70, she knows that jordan is her kid in the same way she knows that rain will always fall to the ground and the sun will rise in the east. it was simply true.
jordan wasn't something she added to her life to fix it, jordan was her life. she was an innate part of her that's always been there, just waiting to be accepted.
but paige is self aware, and she knows that she's still waiting for something, something that she knew a kid, or her family, or the love of the game would never fix. that large, gaping hole in her heart was probably still waiting for the soft doe eyes that used to look at her like she held the stars in her hand.
the same soft doe eyes that'll probably destroy her the second she steps foot in minnesota.
–––––– ––– ––––––
when news of the trade hits, the women's basketball world basically implodes. with paige at the center.
some dallas fans were upset, but considerate, wishing her well in all her future endeavors. some were less kind, calling her everything from a traitor to a bitch, claiming that she abandoned them to create a super team with the defending champions.
it couldn't be further from the truth, honestly. paige would've liked to live and die with the team that drafted her, but at the end of day, her family matters more.
and yeah, the prospect of another championship didn't exactly hurt things.
lynx fans everywhere were smug as hell, high on the pontential of what one of the only guards to win mvp could do for their already championship caliber team. the rest of the w fans just cursed god, their dreams of a half decent playoffs up in smoke.
all of this basically went over paige's head. she was too busy trying to wrangle all of jordan's toys into boxes. she doesn't know how the girl amassed this many possessions in just eight months, but it's probably partially due to paige's internet shopping addiction.
paige let out a breath, blowing a piece of blonde hair out of her face and plopping her hands on her hips. she admired the product of a whole afternoon's worth of work, a bunch of poorly taped together and mislabeled cardboard boxes. paige shrugged. this is a problem for minnesota paige.
suddenly, her phone rang and paige fished it out of her jeans pocket, quickly checking the number and picking up even though it looked like a spam call.
she liked to live life on the edge. "hello?"
"paige bueckers?"
"yes?"
"hi, i'm allison smith, i'm a writer for sports illustrated. if you've got a second, i'd like to ask you some questions."
"yeah? did you run it by my agent?"
a beat passes. "uh. no."
"sorry, i don't talk to journalists that don't go through the proper channels."
"wait, wait, wait--" paige paused, her thumb hovering over the end call button.
"look. i'll level with you. i've had this job for maybe a month, and i thought getting an exclusive with the paige bueckers right after a high profile trade would be enough to, you know, break the glass."
paige wilts at that, ever aware of the invisible wall that cages her in too. she recognizes the light in allison's voice, the one that comes with feeling young and indestructible. paige knows what it's like to hear that ticking clock follow you, waiting for you to make that mark on the world. she sighs. "fine. but publish anything i don't want you to, and i will sue your ass so hard, you won't be able to find it under the legal bills. everything is off the record unless i approve it."
"yes! oh my god, thank you, paige."
"yeah, yeah," paige said, dropping onto the pink beanbag in jordan's room. "ask away, smith."
they cycle through the basic questions that paige could've predicted, and all of it is so transparent in it's need to capture something dramatic. but paige had gone through cd's media training, and it's all light work for her.
"what are you looking forward to about playing on the lynx the most?"
"probably no longer being on the receiving side of big syl's hits."
allison lets out a small chuckle. yeah, you still got it bueckers.
"okay, last question," allison says, the sound of notes being scribbled on a piece of paper leaking through the phone speaker. "azzi fudd."
paige's heart stops.
azzi.
fudd.
"you two were teammates at uconn, more than a decade ago, where you were deemed the 'best backcourt in the nation'. you haven't played together since, aside from the olympics, and now there's a lot of buzz about your reunion. what do you have to say about that?"
come on, heart, start up again. she coughs and hopes she doesn't sound like the rug has been taken out from under. "azzi's an excellent shooter, one of the best to ever do it. anybody would be excited to work with someone like her. and we've already seen what the two of us can do together, so i'm ready to replicate that in the w."
paige hears the click of the recorder and lets out a sigh of relief. "okay, interview officially over. thank you again, miss bueckers."
"next time, call my agent, allison."
–––––– ––– ––––––
"this room? it's mine?"
paige looks over at her kid, mentally committing the look on jordan's face into her memory.
she looked at a ton of houses in minneapolis, trying to find the perfect fit for her small family. when she toured this house, the first thing she noticed was the large bay window in one of the bedrooms. it drew in so much sunlight that the wood was warmed by it, even in the middle of winter. paige could picture it then. jordan growing up in house just like this. it was the perfect place for a kid, especially a kid like jordan, who left her heart outside her ribs.
she'd signed the papers and booked the movers right after.
"it's all yours, peanut."
jordan looks back at her, tears rimming her eyes. paige has learned not to freak out when jordan cries and just make space for her daughter feeling the things she needs to feel. "thank you, mommy," she says, voice soft.
paige crouches down so she's eye level with jordan. "this is our home, now. both of ours. and i want you to feel safe in it, okay?"
jordan nods and then immediately runs off to explore the rest of the house, not even sparing a second glance.
"hey, i still need your help unpacking!" paige shouts, and the only response she's met with is the sound of jordan's laughter echoing through the halls.
paige smiles to herself, shaking her head. a couple of months ago she could barely imagine a life like this, and now she was here. it was all finally working out for her.
she's about to head down the stairs and unpack some of the boxes in the kitchen when the doorbell rings.
that's strange. she was pretty sure no one except her coach and the taxi driver had her address. unless the mailman decided to start delivering on a wednesday.
"mommy! the door!"
"yeah, i heard it!" paige calls out as she turns the door handle.
she freezes.
"hi."
azzi fudd is standing at her doorstep, in front of her home, dressed in a pair of pajama pants and a black winter jacket that was unzipped to reveal a loose lynx crop top. her hair is piled on top of her head in a haphazard bun and a couple curls have fallen out, framing her face in a way that made those goddamn eyes of hers sparkle even more. and just like every other time paige sees azzi, all the air in paige's lungs disappear and she nearly to asphyxiates in front of the prettiest girl she's ever known.
"hi," paige says, without her voice cracking, mind you. she mentally pats herself on the back.
azzi holds up the metal tin in her hand. "i just wanted to welcome you to city. these are brownies, by the way."
"thanks, az."
her favorite. azzi still remembered. she shakes her head and wills her brain to start working again. "how'd you know my address?"
"what? you don't appreciate me dropping in randomly?" azzi says jokingly, but paige knows her well enough to recognize the insecurity behind it.
"no, of course not. drop in any time, fudd. especially since i probably won't be able to stop you," paige says. "i'm just asking cause the only people who know where i live is dad, drew, and coach."
"yeah...i called up cheryl and she forked over your address pretty easily."
"huh. guess coach isn't immune to the princess thing either."
azzi reaches out and pushes paige's shoulder lightly, like she used to in paige's high school bedroom. like they were familiar again.
"your princess propaganda has haunted me my whole life, bueckers."
"can't be propaganda if it's true, princess."
"you asshole." azzi laughs slightly and her face settles into that incredulous smile that always finds her when paige is being annoying in that endearing way. paige forgot how much she loved seeing that.
and so, she makes a terrible decision.
she opens the door wider, leaving space for azzi to come in. she lets the reason for every heartbreak she's had since she was 23 into her room. into her life.
azzi slips off her sneakers and paige takes the coat off her shoulders. she tries not to get to caught up in how there's only a couple inches between azzi's skin and her fingers. she fails.
"it's a beautiful home, paige."
paige blushes. "thanks."
"so. minnesota, huh?"
"yeah, " paige lets out, somehow breathless. she's still waiting for the other shoe to drop.
"i should probably get down on my knees and thank you for coming here," azzi says and paige doesn't picture that very scenario, doesn't imagine azzi tilting her head up and looking at her with the kind of love she never should have left.
paige gulps. "really?"
azzi shrugs. "god knows we needed a point guard. badly. and you're the best one in the league."
she smirks. "i didn't know you were a fan, azzi."
azzi lightly pushes her arm again and paige is about two seconds away from exploding. "shut up, paige, you know what i meant."
"no i don't think i do, you should probably repeat it so i can be sure i understand."
"wow, you really haven't changed, have you?" azzi says, trying to look cross, but her smile betrays her. paige takes that as a personal victory.
a beat passes. the silence moves slowly, thick with everything that still needs to be said.
"mommy!"
oh shit.
azzi's eyes widen, and paige thinks this is the perfect moment for an anvil to come out of nowhere and crush her to death.
"did the world's youngest burglar break into your house or something?"
paige rubs the back of her neck. "uh, no. can you, um, give me a sec? i'll be right back."
she doesn't wait for a response and hightails it out of the front room into the kitchen, where she finds jordan opening and closing cabinets like it's just something to do.
"yeah, peanut?" paige whispers.
jordan looks over at her and tries to raise one eyebrow but she doesn't have enough motor control to do it properly so it looks more confused than suspicious. "why are you whispering?"
"cause i thought it would be fun?" and also because i don't know how to explain to my ex-girlfriend and future teammate that i have a kid now.
"okay," jordan whispers back at her, content with that flimsy reasoning. "i'm hungry," she says, rubbing her stomach for emphasis and dramatic flare.
"right, that makes a sense," paige sticks her hand in her pocket and grabs a fruit roll up. jordan's eyes light up (cause her kid has taste) and she almost grabs it before paige can even remove the packaging. "hang in there, kid. i'm going to order some pizza."
"yes!" jordan says, pumping her tiny fist. paige giggles.
"paige? is everything okay?"
right. azzi's still here. shit. that's probably all the stalling paige could get away with. time to face the music.
"yeah! um, can you come in the kitchen?"
jordan looks up at her, her cheeks puffed up from the entire fruit roll up she stuffed into her mouth. she got her patience from paige. "did we stop playing the whispering game?"
"yup. now we're playing the 'mommy picks you up and twirls you in a circle' game'" paige reaches down and lifts up jordan before she can react, spinning around before settling her on paige's hip.
just in time for azzi to walk in. game time.
"jordan, this is azzi. she's mommy's new teammate. or well, uh, she was an old teammate, but that was a long time ago."
paige is rambling. azzi hasn't moved.
"azzi, this is jordan. my kid."
jordan tries to wave her hand before getting shy and tucking her head into paige's neck. paige rubs her back.
"oh."
paige locks eyes with azzi. "yeah."
azzi walks around the kitchen island, towards jordan. paige sucks in a breath, bracing herself.
"hi, jordan. it's nice to meet you." jordan picks up her head, looking at azzi warily. azzi just smiles, and paige can feel jordan relax in her arms at the sight. azzi points to jordan's head. "i like your hair. the beads are super cool."
"mommy did it for me." paige feels a wave of pride wash over her. braiding jordan's hair has been the hardest thing for her to learn, especially since jordan's texured hair is very different from paige's fine blonde. but she had persevered, thanks to all the youtube tutorials she watched and the number of times azzi let paige try to do her gameday braids in college.
jordan lifts one of the braids, showing it to azzi. "she let me pick the beads though. pink's my favorite."
"no way, it's mine too! that's so cool."
it surprises paige how comfortable she feels right now. most people change their voice and talk down to jordan which always rubs paige the wrong way, but azzi simply nods along, absorbing every word like it's fascinating and responding with her own geniune interest. the way they click, like them, together just makes sense, muffles all the warning bells that are usually blaring in paige's head.
"i wanna show you my room. can i show azzi my room?"
"yeah, of course—" paige starts but jordan's wiggiling out of her grip and grabbing azzi's hand before she can finish. azzi laughs and lets herself be dragged.
azzi looks back one last time, before the both of them disappear around the corner. paige sighs.
she doesn't know what to make of all of this, if she's completely honest. when paige had first heard of the trade, there was no way to define the complex swirl of emotions in her gut, which made it easier to be in denial about it all. but as time went on, it was getting harder and harder to hide the hope bubbling up in her heart. she'd always been like that, especially with azzi. she falls too fast, and wants too much. always desperately waiting and wishing for more of her, no matter how many times she tells herself she's needs to stop holding on so tightly before she leaves more claw marks behind.
paige still remembers that one day azzi had nearly blown up at her, when she had gotten a little too caught up in what it would be like if azzi went to uconn and they could play together. her mind was moving a mile a minute, listing all of the things they needed to do when they were on campus together and completely unaware of the way azzi had gone quiet. eventually, she yelled (which azzi never does), saying that she hadn't decided yet and paige needed to stop putting so much pressure on her. paige didn't say anything. she just left like a wounded dog.
a half hour later, azzi had found her, huddled up in some corner of the fudd house. she took paige's arms and wrapped herself up in them before whispering a soft "sorry." paige couldn't stop thinking about how azzi could probably smell the salt from her tears and just tucked her face into azzi's neck, leaving a thousand apologies of her own pressed into her skin.
paige had promised herself that she would never push azzi like that again. and she hadn't. mostly. except for a couple notable exceptions. like new york, her second year. the 2008 olympics. 2015 all star. and she'd paid the price for it.
this time was supposed to be different. she was supposed to take it slow, try to be teammates or maybe even friends first. and paige was definitely supposed to wait at least a week before dropping the bomb that was jordan.
well. that was all out the window.
paige ran a hand through her hair, pulling out a couple blonde strands out of her ponytail and letting them fall in front of her face.
great fucking job, bueckers.
she pushed herself up from the counter, shaking out her hands as she set off in search of the two girls.
at least azzi didn't run away, she thinks to herself. unless she's just waiting til she's closer to the door.
the door to jordan's room is slightly agar and paige gently pushes it open, bracing herself for what she'll find.
azzi's sitting on the ground with one of her knees propped up and jordan was leaning against her as she dutifully described the toys in her hands while azzi nods along. she has one hand resting on jordan's waist, keeping the young girl balanced, and the other perched on her knee. paige hasn't seen azzi look this relaxed and comfortable in years, and the sight of it warms her heart.
neither of them have noticed paige, too caught up in their own little world, so paige knocks on the door gently. azzi looks up first, locking eyes with paige for a second before jordan realizes that she lost her audience.
"mommy!" jordan says. " i have a question."
paige walks over to them. "fire away, peanut."
"can azzi stay for pizza? please?"
"oh. uh." paige looks over at azzi who is already looking at her, eyes wide and smile caught. "um. i don't know if–"
"come on, mommy, you always order too much anyway," jordan says, pouting.
azzi gently squeezes jordan's waist which makes her giggle. paige's heart is about to melt and then burn through her insides like some evil, hormone induced lava. "well, i can believe that."
"hey!"
"come on, bueckers, you're going to tell me you didn't order twelve pizzas for the entire team at uconn?"
"i wanted us to have leftovers!"
azzi shoots a knowing look at her. "for two whole weeks?"
"jordan, back mommy up here."
jordan puts a finger to her chin. "i think you should listen to azzi. she's really smart."
"i guess you don't want pizza for breakfast then?"
jordan's eyes go wide, arms reaching out towards her mom."no, no, no, i love pizza for breakfast!"
"hey, you made your decision," paige says, crossing her arms.
"you were giving her pizza for breakfast?" azzi questions. "that's some excellent parenting right there."
"yo, my kid loves me, that's all that matters."
azzi smiles, one of her dimples on proud display. "yeah. she does."
paige looks up and down a couple times, nervously twiddling with your fingers. "you're welcome to stay, by the way. if you want to."
azzi just looks at her then, coffee brown eyes soft and open in a way paige hasn't seen in years. or decades. it felt like the whole room was covered in all of paige's previous mistakes, but here, in azzi's eyes, she felt absolved. like there was a chance. an olive branch to save her from drowning.
or maybe paige is just imagining things.
"i'm sorry, i can't," azzi says, as she lifts jordan to her feet before getting up herself. paige feels her heart drop a little, but she doesn't know what she expected. azzi barely knew her, at least this version of her. it made sense for azzi to be a little wary of the picture in front of her. paige pushed herself up off the floor.
azzi pat the top of jordan's head. "i promised maya i'd swing by later today. but maybe another time."
"aww," jordan whines.
"that's okay. yeah. maybe another time," paige says, trying to look less flustered then she felt. she looks back at jordan. "baby, why don't you finish unpacking your toys while i walk azzi to the door."
jordan crossed her arms, clearly not happy with the situation. azzi turns around and gives her a little high five that she happily returns. "i'll see you later, okay? i'm sure you're going to be court side, watching mommy and i destroy all the other teams, right?"
"right," jordan says with a bright smile.
paige walked azzi to the front door, stuffing her hands into her pockets as azzi put on her winter jacket.
"so. i, uh, guess i'll see you at practice."
azzi nods. "yeah. can't wait to hit a three over your head again."
"again? you have never hit a three while i was guarding you."
"really? did you forget about—"
paige shook her head. "come on, i was sick. that doesn't count."
"what about—"
she raises her hands in defeat. "okay, okay, let's not dwell on the past."
azzi smirks. "that was only last season."
"like i said," paige turns the door handle. "the past."
azzi pauses, fiddling with her fingers. "hey, paige, you know i was kidding right?"
"about what?"
"about what i said back there. i know you're a good mom," azzi steps over the threshold. "i always knew you would be."
paige doesn't know what to say to that. she probably never will. she sniffs, stuffing her hands further into her pockets. "well, jordan's a great kid."
"yeah. she is."
the seconds stretch out between them and paige can't help the way her heart races as it flips through every maybe they could've had. azzi won't stop staring at her.
paige takes in a deep breath. "bye az. i'll see you later."
"bye, paige."
–––––– ––– ––––––
the lynx gym was quiet in the mornings. well it was quiet a lot of the time, since most of the players were still overseas, and there was no one here to create any ruckus. paige likes it like this, where the sound of the basketball hitting the shiny wooden floor was the loudest thing in the room and in her mind.
it's the only place she can just be.
paige has planned to shoot around a little bit and get used to the new facilities. nothing too crazy, just enough to get the feel of the game back in her blood.
it takes her no time to find that flow between her hand and the ball, before a voice at the door breaks it.
"paige!"
her hand goes limp in the middle of her shot, the ball airballing so badly that she would've been embarrassed if she wasn't completely focused on the way azzi was leaning against the door like it was second nature.
"azzi." she chases after the ball. "what are you doing here?"
azzi crosses her arms. "same reason you are, probably."
she chuckles awkwardly, dribbling the ball just to keep her hands busy. "makes sense."
"i'll rebound for you," azzi says, setting her bag down and wiping her hands on her shorts, a nervous tick azzi never got rid of.
"okay."
it doesn't take them long to find a rhythm between the two of them, both of them reminded how their late night high school shoot arounds were baked into their bones. the whole process runs so smoothly, that they barely need to say a single word. that doesn't stop paige though.
"come on az, that was a terrible pass."
azzi glares at her. paige feels a little giddy. "it was a fine pass."
"you really need to work on that."
"shut up and shoot the ball, paige. you won't always get good passes."
paige just smirks, releasing the ball with an easy flick of the wrist. it clanks off the rim, with a harsh enough sound to make paige flinch.
azzi chases it down and tosses it back to paige with a glimmer in her eye. "you work on that, and i'll work on my passes," she says, which paige responds to by sticking out her tongue.
"nice," azzi sighs, "very mature."
paige shoots the ball. it goes in this time, a straight swish. "it's what i'm known for."
"it's what i'm known for," azzi repeats, mocking, and follows by sticking her own tongue out, which surprises paige enough to bring a bright, limitless laugh out of her.
they run through a couple more drills until the sun is a little closer to the middle of the sky. both of them are breathing a little heavy, with sweat dripping down their foreheads. azzi uses the bottom of her shirt to wipe her face, and paige has to stop herself from letting her eyes track over the planes of her abs. it requires a herculean effort, but she manages it. barely.
she drops the shirt and looks back at paige. "i've got an idea."
"shoot."
azzi takes the ball from her hand and paige is stuck watching. which she is not complaining about. "1v1."
"really?" paige chuckles, "you wanna go against me?"
she shrugs, but there's something about her stance that exudes a kind of confidence that makes paige want to dare her even further. "yeah. thought i'd remind you who won every match up back at uconn."
"not all of them," paige whines. azzi glares at her and she rolls her eyes. "okay. first to eleven. i'm a gentleman, so i'll let you start. but you should still get ready to lose."
azzi dribbles toward the top of the key, lowering herself into position. her voice is sugar sweet when she answers with a "sure, paige."
she settles into her offense quickly, too quickly, handling the ball fast enough to set paige off balance and create enough space (not that she needed any) for her picture perfect jumpshot. the one that always ends the same way. swoosh.
3 - 0.
azzi smiles, proud, carefree, and vaguely reminiscent of the easy smiles she still had when she was sixteen. paige doesn't have the heart to be upset at the shot make, too wrapped up in this version of azzi that she hasn't seen in nearly a lifetime.
she looks at paige before running after the ball. "you were saying, bueckers?"
"nice shot," paige says, the compliment geniune. azzi blinks and paige hallucinates that on her cheeks blush getting a little deeper. "you're not going to get to make it again."
1v1 is a tiring endeavor on it's own, but when two players that have spent more time on opposite sides of the court than together and were used to feeding each other's competitive fire, it reaches a whole new level. each miss is hard won, the product of the constant, suffocating defense uconn drilled into both of them. and each shot made is answered with another one. neither of them go on a run, matching bucket for bucket.
The score is 10 -9, in paige's favor. whoever made the next shot, won.
azzi had the ball again, with paige sticking to her like glue, determined to not let her pass. azzi dribbles, steping back as if she was going for a three. paige leans forward to defend it, leaving enough of a gap for azzi to drive forward and float the ball into the bucket for an easy two.
game over. 11-10.
"some things never change," azzi pants, her hands on her knees. paige doesn't have the energy to say anything, so she pushes azzi's shoulder.
a slow clap starts up near the door and the two of them snap up, turning towards the source. the minnesota head coach is sitting by the bleachers with a very smug grin on her face. which paige knew was basically what cheryl would look like if she won the lottery.
"hey, coach," paige breathes out, walking over to great her.
cheryl looks up at her, taking her in, eyes as warm as they were years ago. "paige."
"didn't think you'd get stuck with me again?"
she purses her lips, but paige can see the amusement behind it. "hoped i wouldn't," cheryl says, "but turns out you're still the best pg in this league."
paige smirks. "some things never change."
azzi jogs over, looking between the two of them. "you guys know each other?"
"hey, fudd," cheryl says, with a smile that is surely reserved for the princess. most people have one of those. paige knows she definitely does. "yeah, i did a stint with paige's team a while ago."
"back when the team was at detroit," paige hums, "we're such oldheads now."
"speak for yourself," azzi murmers.
paige side eyes her. "you're only one year younger than me, azzi."
"one year's enough," azzi slips out. her hands lock behind her back as she rocks back and forth on her feet.
paige is about to fire back with something equally immature, but cheryl beats her to it. "nice game, you two," she says as she crosses her arms over her navy blue zip up. "it's a good sign."
"for what?" azzi asks.
paige opens her mouth before cheryl can. "that we're still what we started at uconn."
azzi doesn't look at her, but she can hear the way her breath stops, inhaling quick before anyone notices. except paige does. at least when it comes to azzi. "you can tell from a 1v1 game?" azzi asks, her voice almost too light.
"i could tell the moment i saw you two on the court together," cheryl says, shrugging, "and now i've got the best backcourt in the country on my team."
paige doesn't say anything, just sticks out her hand towards azzi for a high five, who reciprocates with a roll of her eyes and a bitten back smile.
cheryl smacks her hands on her thighs and stands up. "okay, i've got things to handle, free agency is a bitch. i'll see both of you later."
azzi does that thing that paige is obsessed with, where her face doesn't really smile, but you can see her dimples anyway. "bye, coach."
cheryl squeezes azzi's arm as she passes by while walking to the door. "see ya, big c!" paige calls after her, which earns her a middle finger.
"i think she likes me," paige whispers to azzi, who has already started to pack up her practice bag. she stuffs her hands into the stretched out pockets of her basketball shorts and sits down on the bench by azzi's bag, leaning back far enough to catch the light of those brown doe eyes.
"only as much as i do."
"so she's half in love with me then?"
azzi freezes, and paige curses herself and her stupid, never-thinks-before-it-jumps brain.
"az, i'm so–"
"wanna get lunch with me?" azzi asks, all rushed like the words were scraping their way out. paige can't do anything but blink at her, the apology dying on her tongue and leaving a bitter taste behind.
"sure," paige answers. azzi stares at her, as if she doesn't quite believe it. "sure, yeah," she repeats, hoping this time it sticks.
"great. i know a place nearby."
–––––– ––– ––––––
paige should've made a bet.
azzi's sitting across from her, drizzling vinagrette over her bowl, that contained chicken, sweet potato, cucumber, avocado, a couple other vegetables that paige can't be bothered to remember, all topped with some feta. she can recall at least ten seperate times azzi has eaten the exact same thing in front of her. so yeah, she should've made a bet. could've earned some money, because they both seem to be old horses that refuse to learn any new tricks.
paige raises an eyebrow. "you still eat the same, huh, az?"
azzi stops, looking pointedly down paige's burger and fries. "looks like you do too."
"yeah, cause i actually eat things that taste good," paige argues, earning an eye roll, "unlike whatever that is."
azzi hums, spearing a chunk of sweet potato with her fork and bringing it up to her cold and teeth bitten lips. "you probably still have uncrustables on your grocery list."
paige's eyes widen and that's enough indication for azzi to break out into laughter.
she narrows her eyes at azzi. "jordan likes it."
"yeah, i'm sure she does."
"and if i eat one every now and again because i'm a tired, single mom, that's nobody's business."
azzi puts her hands up in mock surrender, and it's ridiculous enough for paige to answer with a smile of her own.
the minutes pass a little slower, with the sun a little too low in the sky for the time, and paig can't help but feel like she's being watched by something bigger than her, like the sky chose today to snoop. it's ridiculous, she knows that, but there's a shiver in her spine that's yelling at her not to make the wrong move, like there's something at stake here that she can't bear to lose, and she doesn't want to find out what happens when she doesn't listen to it.
she clears her throat. "this is nice."
"it is."
the space between the seconds start to grow again and paige is about to pull all the hair out of her head.
"azzi?"
"yeah?'
"what–what are we doing?"
she looks at paige, face soft and open. "we're having lunch."
"yeah, but–" paige stops herself, struggles to put years of history into words. she doesn't know if confrontation is the right move here, but she knows what the consequences of keeping words in the back of your throat can do, and she's willing to risk it. "we haven't had lunch in years. we haven't done anything in years."
"you're right." azzi puts her fork down. "i'd like to change that."
paige looks up at her, eyelashes fluttering over ocean blue irises. "you'd–what?"
"i wanna be friends again," azzi says, like it's not a confession worthy of something better than a cafe in the middle of minneapolis. "seems like the perfect time for it. we're on the same team again, and i…i wanna try."
"really?"
"yeah, paige," azzi whispers,"i missed you, more than anything. i missed my best friend."
paige inhales, and the sun lowers a little more, peaking through the store window.
"and now, i've got a chance to get her back," azzi continues, "if you'd like to?"
"yeah," paige breathes out, "i would."
later, after a meal filled with second chances and lovingly meaningless conversation, paige drops azzi off at her apartment. azzi squeezes her forearm before opening the door, a silent goodbye, just like she used to, and paige's heart flips an embarrassing number of times.
"hey, i forgot to ask," azzi says as she climbs out of the car, "who's looking after jordan?"
"my dad. he's staying with us for a while to help with the beginning of the season."
"oh. cool."
"why?"
"just wondering." azzi smiles. "i owe your kid a pizza night."
–––––– ––– ––––––
the next couple of weeks, they fall into a routine without even realizing. paige had tried to take it slow, but she's always been horrible at being careful when it came to loving azzi fudd. so she just lets herself be, without questioning every move she makes.
after the first couple of days of bumping into each other at the lynx facilities, paige starts to pick up azzi before heading over and working out together. they stay there until their lungs and muscles burn, and they decide that's enough for one day, slipping out into the cold winter air for some food and something to waste the time until paige had to pick jordan up from school.
one time, they lose track of time and paige can't drop azzi off first, so they both go to pick up jordan.
when paige pulls into the parking lot, she checks her watch, and curses, taking off her seatbelt and pushing open the door as fast as she can. she doesn't notice how azzi hasn't moved until she slams the door.
paige opens the door again. "uh, what are you doing?"
azzi fiddles with the edge of her shirt, quintessential nervous azzi. "you pick up jordan, i'll wait here."
"what are you talking about," paige says,"just come on, fudd."
"paige, i don't think–"
paige looks at her, really looks, and azzi snaps her mouth shut. "come on, azzi," she says, softer.
that seems to wake her up, and they both jog out of the parking lot. they find jordan waiting with one of her teachers, all swaddled up in a pink puffy jacket and matching beanie.
"hey peanut," paige calls out, reaching her hand out, which jordan immediately runs up and takes. she apologizes for being late, and is met with a look that says "you being late was the least of my problems today," which paige answers with an awkward smile.
paige turns and jordan follows, her small, teetering steps falling in step with her mother's strides. she looks back at jordan, who seems more focused on her own feet than anything else. "jordan, you remember azzi?"
jordan looks up at her and then at azzi and doesn't say anything.
"don't take it to heart," paige whispers to azzi, "she's like that with most people."
"i wasn't going to. she's just a kid," azzi deadpans. "besides, i'll win her over."
paige smirks. "you always do."
when they reach the car, paige opens the back door and moves out of the way, tilting her head towards the car as if to say, "you try." azzi steps closer, helping jordan into her car seat, and putting on her seatbelt. jordan looks at her, eyes wide and curious, like azzi's a puzzle piece and jordan's trying to figure out where she fits into her life. once the seatbelt clicks, azzi looks back at jodan and puts her palm out. jordan takes the bait and high fives her, but you'd think she hit a three point shot if you saw the way paige pumps her fist because of it. azzi shakes her head at the blonde before slipping into shotgun, but nothing can tamper the grin on paige's face.
history should stop paige from hoping so much, but it never has before, and it doesn't now. it knows that paige's heart has never listened to anything or anybody other than the only person that holds it.
soon enough, jordan's added into their daily routine, and they make it a habit to pick her up together. it doesn't take long for jordan to get used the new setup, if the way she starts running up to azzi without even noticing paige is any indication.
paige tries to act neglected by it, but she can't deny how content she feels watching them together. there's a quietness, a trepidation to jordan, that she's never been able to understand, but it is something azzi that picks up on and responds to immediately. sometimes, paige feels like she can push jordan too much in the wrong direction, but azzi, she seems to have a second sense for what jordan's thinking. probably because it's exactly what a younger azzi would be thinking.
maybe she should be a little jealous of the way they fit, but she only finds herself warmed by it.
by the first week of march, the bueckers family has gotten used to azzi fudd being there for every part of their day. paige lets herself fall into deep brown eyes all throughout the morning and afternoon. and once they pick up jordan, the little girl steals her away from paige, happy to just be around azzi, even if they weren't playing together. azzi even becomes part of the night routine. they find out the hard way that jordan becomes very whiny if azzi leaves without giving her a kiss on the cheek and letting her give one back. so whiny that jordan won't go to sleep, no matter what paige does.
it's another dead night of winter and the routine hasn't changed. paige has had a long day, one where she's been steadily reminded that she is getting older and her knees know it, so she'd like to get to bed as soon as possible.
she picks up jordan and places her on her hip. "okay, peanut, give azzi her goodnight kiss so we can all go to bed."
azzi gently rests both of her hands on jordan's arm and leans close enough for jordan to reach. jordan places her kiss with a loud smack that makes azzi giggle. azzi places hers with a bit more care, but it brings that same smile onto jordan's face. paige realized a couple days ago that her daughter has developed a princess smile of her own that was only reserved for azzi. like mother, like daughter.
"bye azzi."
azzi's eyes shine. "bye, baby."
"okay, great," paige rushes out, "night night time."
she drops a kiss on jordan's cheek and, without thinking about it, does the same to azzi.
paige freezes with her lips still pressed against azzi's cheek and she immediately pulls back, heart hammering in her chest.
turns out the muscle memory stays, even after more than a decade. paige should feel guilty, but she thinks her heart has been waiting for this breach too long to second guess it anymore. her mind, on the other hand, loses it.
"shit–uh–"
azzi puts a hand on her shoulder and it burns. she brushes her lips on paige's cheeks just like paige had just done a second ago, and paige has to stop herself from melting into the touch. things slip back into place, exactly where they're meant to be, just for a second. and for that second, paige can breathe.
"don't curse in front of your kid, bueckers" azzi whispers. "good night."
"good night," paige says, half a second too late.
the door closes with a decisive click. jordan pokes her cheek and leans closer. "mommy, why is your face so red?"
–––––– ––– ––––––
2017, march
"did you know that it gets quieter when it snows?"
they're at the park, taking a stroll in one of the last snows of the season. when they stepped outside after practice, paige saw the way azzi's face lit up before she even noticed the snow. she was standing there, in track pants and an oversized tee, face tilted to the sky as snowlakes dusted her hair, and paige could feel all those promises and wishes and wants in the bend of her ribs, trying to break out. paige didn't even ask, just drove them down to the park with the lake and the wilting trees, so azzi could watch the snowfall before it leaves them for the year. and paige could watch her.
azzi looks over at her. "yeah. i do."
"it's something about how the snow is better at absorbing the sound, i think. lessens the vibration, and doesn't leave many sound waves that can come back to us."
"i'm surprised, bueckers," azzi says. "didn't know you stayed awake in class long enough to learn anything."
"actually, i learned it from jordan," paige says, fiddling with the sleeve of her jacket. "she was asking me a ton of questions, so we spent a whole afternoon reading through wikipedia pages."
"oh."
there's a faraway look in azzi's eyes, one that even paige has never seen before. she's been noticing it more often the last couple of days.
"anyway, i brought that up because," paige continues. "my whole life, everything's been so loud. always."
she looks azzi in the eye, crystal blue leaking into the daytime sky, and dares herself to jump one last time.
"you're my snow. you make it quieter."
snow keeps falling, disappearing into the clouds, blanketing everything in a layer of white. paige's nose has reached a level of numb that should cause concern, but she's too caught up in the rosiness of azzi's cheeks to notice.
azzi doesn't say anything at first. she simply reaches down and intertwines their hands together. both of their hands are covered in gloves, but paige swears her skin burns anyway.
suddenly, minneapolis isn't minneapolis anymore, it's some random city in the middle of conneticut. and suddenly, paige is thirteen years younger, wishing for forever with the only girl she's ever loved.
god, life had taken so much from that version of herself. it had pushed and pushed and pushed until she was something that was nearly unrecognizable, until she was forced to let go of every chance at happiness she had.
but now, it was different. now, she could take it all back.
"we've been given a second chance, azzi," paige whispers into air, blanketed by the snow. "and god help me, i want to take it."
azzi stops and pulls paige closer. she inhales, searching paige's face."then take it."
"you'll let me?"
she nods. "i will. i promise."
and that's all she's ever needed. all she's ever wanted. a chance. an open door. a promise.
paige lifts her hands, cradling azzi's face in her hands and wiping away some of the wetness left behind by the snowflakes that feel strangely reminiscent of the tears she's wiped away before. she leans in and azzi meets her in the middle, breath warm in the cold, and paige remembers what it's like to believe angels were real.
a decade later, she remembers what it's like to be whole.
tags: ghost au, fluff, literally all fluff, happiest ending you could possibly get if one of them was a ghost
author's note: happy halloween! thought i'd write a lil ghost au for the occasion, hope y'all like it. very unedited, cause i wanted to get this out as close to halloween as possible, i'll go back and fix things when i feel more alive.
wc: 3.6k
tw: none :) happy vibes
----- --- -----
so. let's start with this. paige was being haunted. by a ghost.
no, she's not crazy, yes, she did get herself checked out by a doctor. this is not some hallucination, a side of effect of her many sleepless nights, this was reality. she was being haunted. by a pretty ghost, with pretty eyes and pretty curls that paige would like to twirl around her fingers if she could actually touch them.
it all began with the realization that she was growing out of the tiny boxes uconn liked to pretend were dorm rooms. paige found herself an apartment at the corner of campus for a surprisingly good price. that should've been her first clue.
paige slammed the door to the car and looked up at the dilapidated building. there was moss and vines growing up the side of it's bricks, covering the whole thing in a sickly shade of green that screamed "turn around and leave."
wow, this is secluded, she thinks. even for storrs.
after climbing up the four flights of stairs (and cursing herself for picking a building without an elevator), she finds her new apartment, room 444. she fiddles around, looking for the key that the landlord had left her before turning the lock and slowly opening the door.
the first thing she remembers is the warmth. that should've been her second clue. it was january, in connecticut of all places. the cold should've been hammered into the walls and seeping out of the paint. but when paige stepped into the living room, all she could feel was warmth, the same warmth that comes from a well worn sweater.
the apartment was unusually bright, filled to the brim with sunlight. despite the fact that no one had rented it out in years, it looked lived in. it looked loved.
she hung her jacket on one of the only hooks left on the wall, the evidence of the other ones clear by all the screw holes, and walked into the kitchen. paige rolled her shoulders, settling into the space. she leaned over the kitchen counter and started opening all the cabinets, just to busy her hands.
"hello?"
paige whirled around. there was no one there. her heart races, bouncing against her ribs.
there was no one there.
she goes back to exploring her new kitchen, desperate to distract her overzealous mind.
"hello?"
paige snaps up, banging her head on the overhead cabinet. "fuck," she says under her breath, rubbing her temple.
a giggle floats in the air. the voice continues, entirely unaware of how fucking weird this is. "are you okay?"
paige slowly turns around, mentally reviewing all the tricks her self defense class tried to teach her. her eyes fall on a young woman that looked her age with caramel skin and a cheeky dimple that was visible because of the smirk she was sporting.
"what the hell," paige says.
her smile gets even wider. "hi."
paige crosses her arms, hoping to come off as intimidating. "who are you? what are you doing in my apartment?"
"well let's get one thing right," she says, her voice silky like honey. "this is my apartment. has been for years. i thought it'd remain that way after i drove out the last five couples."
paige is getting a headache. "what do you mean? this is my apartment. i signed a lease."
"pretty sure eternal resting place beats a piece of paper, dude."
"huh?" paige says dumbly.
the girl leans closer, looking up through her eyelashes. "i'm dead."
she walks towards paige, through the kitchen island, like it wasn't even there. paige blinks, holding her breath.
"boo," she whispers.
paige breaks about five different speed limits when driving back to campus.
the next day, she convinces herself that this must have a been a trick. or a hallucination. there was no way that there was a ghost in paige's kitchen, because she was just a 20 year old, dragging herself through long classes and longer shifts, and these types of things don't happen to college students that were only trying to survive. usually.
she was not about to be the exception.
paige drove back to the building and used the trek up the the stairs to convince herself not to chicken out.
when she reaches the door again, room 444, she pulls out her keys again before pausing. paige thinks back to when that girl said that this apartment was hers, and she knocks on the door.
five seconds pass and nothing happens. she goes to open the lock when she hears a faint voice. "come in."
paige turns the door handle and finds the same girl in the same clothes sitting at the bay window in the living room. she holds her breath, waiting for...she doesn't know what.
the girl raises an eyebrow. "are you going to come in?"
"uh. yeah," paige says, awkwardly setting down her things and kicking off her shoes.
she sits down on the couch across from the girl, her eyes catching on the way the sunlight seems the stream through her, like the she and the air around her were the same.
paige swallows. "so...you're a ghost?"
"you know, most people ask for someone's name before asking personal questions."
"right," paige says. "what's your name?"
"azzi. azzi fudd," she says, a small smile playing on her lips.
paige can't help but smile back. "hi azzi. i'm paige."
azzi finally looks over at her. "nice to meet you, paige."
she turns back to the bay window, her coffee brown eyes drinking in every mediocre sight of their mediocre town. paige hands start twitching and she starts nervously pulling at the edges of her cuticles.
"so...now that we're acquainted," paige starts. "are you a ghost?"
azzi tilts her head towards her, that easy, warm smile back on her face. "yeah. i'm a ghost. been dead 20 years and counting."
"okay," paige says. "cool."
azzi levels her with a look. "really? cool?"
paige shrugs. "i don't know how i'm supposed to respond to you being a ghost. it's not like i have a lot of life experience in the area, bro."
azzi laughs and the sound is so melodious and beautiful that paige wonders about what a privilege it would've been to hear it when she was alive.
"are you scared now? are you going to leave?" azzi says, clearly hoping for the answer that would let her keep her peace.
"are you kidding me? do you know how hard it would be to find a new apartment now?" paige says. "there is no way i'm leaving. guess you're just going to have to get used to having a roommate."
azzi raised an eyebrow at her disbelievingly. "you ran out of the room yesterday because i said boo."
"well, i just needed a second to process. i'm good now."
"uh huh. totally."
"i'm fine as long as you promise not possess me in my sleep or something."
azzi stands up, swinging her arms carelessly. "damn. there goes my friday night plans."
paige follows her. "ha. very funny azzi."
"not a joke."
"yes it was. it was a joke. right, azzi?"
azzi looks back at her, mischief in her cuteass dimples. "guess you'll just have to find out, bro."
"you prick," paige calls after her as she disappears (literally) into her room.
this was going to be interesting.
----- --- -----
two weeks later, paige and the ghost in her living room seem to have found some semblance of normalcy.
azzi usually had trouble turning visible in the beginning of the day, when the world was just waking up, but paige could still feel her, draped across her shoulders like a hug. paige had quickly learned that there were ways to help azzi coax herself back to the physical world, namely light. so she'd open all the curtains that she closed in the night (because only psychos sleep with the curtains open), and turn on all the lamps so that the whole apartment would be so bright it hurt her eyes. azzi also liked it when there was music playing in the apartment and was a big fan of destiny's child, so paige would play her favorite 2000s r&b playlist until the girl showed herself.
so here paige was, in the kitchen, making some eggs and toast with "lose my breath" playing on full blast. and lo and behold, azzi's perched on the edge of the dining room table when she turns around.
paige smiles a bit awkwardly. azzi's responding smile is so sweet that it tinges paige's cheeks a deep pink. "hey there. have a good night?"
"well, i don't really conceive time or have the ability to sleep," azzi says, shrugging. "so i guess it was fine, all things considered."
paige hums, beyoncé's riffs in the background filling all the space.
"do you have class today?"
paige spears some scrambled eggs on her fork. "yeah, i've got a psych class today and then i have to do some grocery shopping. our pantry is embarrassingly empty."
"right. food. forgot about that," azzi says haltingly, drawing a giggle out of paige. "are you gonna be back after that?"
"probably," paige squints at her. "why?"
azzi shrugs nonchalantly, but paige can see the way her fingers fiddle with the belt loop of her low rise jeans. "i want to keep watching that show we started."
"scandal?"
azzi nods her head, and paige sets her plate down. "well i could play it for you before i leave--"
"no!" azzi says suddenly, stepping closer. paige could count her every eyelash. "no," she says, gentler, rocking carefully, "no, i just mean i want to watch it with you.
"okay. we'll watch it together when i get back."
"okay," azzi whispers, smile leaking into every part of her face, bringing out those dimples paige loved so much.
later that day, the two of them are settled onto the couch, as close as they can get without touching. paige tells herself that it's out of respect, but really paige is terrified that she'll reach over, chasing that warmth that seems to radiate from azzi's skin, and her hand will pass straight through her. she doesn't want that reminder, so she stays a safe distance and she doesn't turn her head from the television.
sometimes she feels azzi's eyes on her, and her heart races with the knowledge. paige knows, the moment she turns to look, it's all going to be over for her. she'll lock onto those warm, toffee eyes, and fall so far that she wouldn't be able to pull herself up. so paige doesn't turn.
when she switches the lights off, azzi goes with them.
----- --- -----
"bueckers, would it kill you to not leave your dirty basketball clothes all over the floor?"
"well, it wouldn't bother you if you stayed out of my room."
"not an option. pick up your shit."
"you literally pass through them anyway!"
----- --- -----
"azzi! azzi, i know you're there!"
azzi materializes by paige's window, one of her favorite places to be. she's got her arms crossed over the dark brown cami she's always wearing (ghosts don't seem to have access to a large wardrobe), and she's smirking like she knows exactly what's coming.
"where's my ipad?"
she tilts her head. "i don't know you're talking about."
"come on, bro."
"what's an ipad?"
"you know what an ipad is."
"i don't," azzi affirms. "is it one of those rectangles that glow?"
paige throws her hands up. "you're acting really dumb for someone who was trying to dictate my moves in candy crush twelve hours ago."
azzi puts her finger to her chin, putting on an air of faux curiosity. "what's candy crush?"
"oh come on," paige says. "there's like two times in the day when you're strong enough to move things and you chose to hide my most prized possession?"
a giggle threatens to burst out of azzi. paige side eyes her before she fixes her face.
"maybe you left it somewhere?"
"no, i would know, my soul would feel it, so it's gotta be you."
azzi hides another giggle in her fist. "your soul would feel it?"
there's this face that azzi makes when she's trying to hide her laughter, where she isn't smiling much, but her dimples are still so deep that they light up her eyes. it's just so lovely. paige spends everyday trying not to get lost in it.
paige looks her dead in the eye, completely serious. "that's my baby, azzi."
azzi finally breaks, laughter pealing out of her in waves. paige tries to stop herself from smiling at the sight, but she fails. she's never claimed to be immune to beauty like that.
paige tries to look unimpressed but it doesn't fool azzi. "so, where'd you hide it?"
"dude, i didn't hide it."
"bullshit."
"i didn't!" she says between laughs.
paige shakes her head, a sigh escaping from her lips. "fine. if you tell me where my ipad is, we can play smurfs."
that makes azzi stop in her tracks. "wait. really? you hate playing smurfs."
"if it'll get me my ipad back."
azzi gestures towards the bed. "underneath the mattress."
she immediately lifts the mattress, scanning the bed frame until she spots a purple ipad case. paige grabs it and whirls towards a very not guilty looking azzi.
"how in the hell..." paige says in disbelief. "i can't believe you. it takes you thirty minutes to move a goddamn cup, how did you life a whole mattress"
azzi just shrugs and skips over to her. "determination."
paige attempts a glare, but it ends up looking more lovesick puppy that would let azzi get away with anything. what can she say, she's weak for the corporeal form that lives in her walls.
azzi flops onto the bed, her cami riding up a little and revealing a thin strip of golden skin. paige wants to spread her fingers across that small mercy and push her deeper into the bed.
"paige? are we playing smurfs, or not?"
she shakes her head and clears her thoughts. "right," she says, sitting close enough to feel the warmth, but not close enough to touch.
----- --- -----
"do you miss it?"
"miss what?"
"being alive."
"yes. always."
"i'm sorry."
"don't say sorry. you're the closest i've gotten to remembering what it was like."
----- --- -----
one day, when paige was walking back from her classes, there was a a pop up flower shop on the side of the road, selling bouquets. she only had about seven dollars in her bank account, but she told herself that she'dl get paid soon and this would be worth it.
when she walked into the room she could feel the dust of the place, like pixie dust, settle among the pollen of the flowers, creating a scent that felt like it came from a chanel bottle.
azzi was at the bay window, like she always was.
"hey az. got you something."
she looked over, backlit by the sun. she looked like she belonged in a painting, not some invisible place in conneticut. it takes her a second to spot what was in paige hands, but when she does, her eyes light up in that way that makes paige blush every time.
"you bought me flowers?"
"yeah. uh, i noticed how you like to sit by the window in my bedroom, overlooking that garden in the apartment below us," paige shrugs. "i thought you'd like having some that were close enough to smell. "
"i can't smell," azzi says, quiet, gentle. "but thank you, paige. it's been a long time since anyone has done anything for me, much less something so nice."
she offers paige the sweetest, smallest smile and paige feels her heart crack open for the echo in her living room.
"it's no problem. seriously. this is your home."
azzi tilts her head up, looking her in the eye. "our home."
----- --- -----
when rain comes, azzi dims a little. like the world was taking a breathe through her, instead of with her.
paige learns to stay those days, to give azzi something to tether herself too. she doesn't mind it, she likes staying inside their apartment, looking for new adventures woven into the same floors.
recently, they've discovered that moving jenga blocks doesn't cost azzi much energy, making it the perfect rainy day activity.
paige's legs are sprawled out across the carpet, wrapped up in a pair of basketball shorts she should've thrown out two years ago. her tongue peaks out of her mouth as she focuses on choosing the perfect block.
she sees azzi starting at her in the corner of her eye. "what?"
azzi doesn't blink. "nothing. just make your move."
paige shifts slowly, pushing the block so that it slips out the opposite side and placing it carefully on the top of the tower. she pumps her fist in celebration and it results in a smile on azzi's face like paige hoped it would.
"paige. why haven't you asked me how i died?"
paige stilled. "i didn't think it was my business."
"what, a ghost shows up in your apartment—"
"our apartment."
"—and you don't even think to question it?"
"i did question it, but i figured you'd tell me when felt ready," paige says, sitting up. "when you didn't tell me, i assumed you didn't want to."
azzi folded her knee towards her body, hugging it. "i don't."
"there you go, then."
"you don't want to know?" azzi asks quietly.
paige stops and considers the words she wants to offer. "i like our life. i like living in this apartment with you. i like coming home to you at the bay window every day. i like you, as you are. i don't need to know anything beyond that, unless you'd like to tell me."
azzi smiles again and the sky settles. the rain comes slower now. "you're a good one, paige bueckers."
paige tries to put on an easy smirk, but the way her cheeks burn betrays her. "thanks. i try."
the walls breathe just enough to leave enough space for whatever conversation is passing between paige's lake blue eyes and azzi's chocolate ones. a thousand conversations travel through the air like birdsong, filling the room with kind of easy comfort that lingers in a room where people have danced.
azzi breaks the silence. "i like our life too."
----- --- -----
"you don't have to stay, paige."
"i know."
"you graduated. you have no reason to stay."
"i wouldn't say that."
she sighs. it's heavier than it normally is. she doesn't know if the weight is for paige or for herself. "you have a life to live."
"i do. and i want to start it here."
----- --- -----
in the end, paige left. she didn't want to but she knew she owed it to herself to find out exactly what she was capable of. she ended up getting drafted number one to the wings, the shining star meant to guide them to salvation.
she never even thought to get rid of the apartment. she made sure the curtains were left open for azzi, and had flowers delivered there every week. sometimes, the delivery man would hear singing coming from the walls.
and over the course of the last eighteen years of her career, paige built up a routine. at the end of every season, she comes home to connecticut, to storrs, and spends her every free second there before the cycle starts again.
no one really knew why, only that there was an old apartment there that she liked to spend time in and watch the leaves change color. which was exactly how paige wanted it.
in all of paige's years, nothing has stayed the same, not even azzi. physically, she looked the same, same luminescent skin and infectious smile. but every time paige comes back, she seems a little more settled into the walls of the apartment and little less there, with paige.
that terrified paige the most. that one day paige will come back and azzi won't be there anymore, finally air like she was meant to be.
azzi always notices when she's thinking about that. azzi always notices everything.
"stop staring at me like i'm going to disappear, bueckers."
paige looks away, running her hands through her blonde hair that was speckled with white. "sorry," she says, clipped.
the wind pulls at the windows, loud and incessant. time seemed to drag in this apartment.
azzi sits next to her, gently laying her hand on top of paige's so it was like they were almost holding hands. paige doesn't feel anything, but the gesture calms her. "as long as you come back, paige, i'll be here. i promise."
paige clicks her tongue, smile already back on her face.
"i, uh, i have some news," paige says, twiddling her fingers nervously.
azzi nods expectantly, urging her on. paige swallows.
"i'm retiring."
"what?" azzi says. "but you love playing. and the people, they love you."
"i know," paige whispers. "i'm going to miss it."
"so why would you give it up?"
"it's taking it's toll," paige says, shrugging. "plus, i got a job offer."
azzi's eyes widen, light buzzing around her. "what?"
"cd called me, said that the head coach spot at uconn was mine, if i wanted it."
"wait, that means—"
paige face breaks out into a blinding grin. "i'm staying, azzi."
azzi blinks up at her, eyes watering. "you're staying."
"guess you're gonna have to get used to having a roommate again."
azzi smiles, and it's bigger than the sky. "oh, shut up."
tags: bly manor au (but not the lesbians you're thinking of), read at your own risk
author's note: for my lovely, very persistent anon that did come back and remind me after three months like i asked them too. this is literally just for you and for me (and anybody else interested in this very niche crossover), so you better come back and let me know what you think. spoilers, if you haven't watched the haunting of bly manor. thank you to mom @nycscribbler for making sure that this was coherent. best beta ever :)
wc: 4k
tw: none
––––– ––– –––––
there's no sun in the sky. there are no clouds either, just a drab sky draped in white.
azzi pulls the curtains back, pressing her lips together.
she's been at bly manor for four years now, and nothing has really changed. the old house still stands tall and foreboding, like it wouldn't bend, even to the end of the world, and the greenery around it doesn't do much to make the stone more appeasing.
the curtain drops.
this isn't the kind of morning that asks much of anyone, much less someone like azzi, who finds her strength with the wind and the sunlight, but she drags herself to usefulness anyway. she isn't the type to skip out on work. prides herself on it, actually.
besides. it's difficult for a house to wake up without its keeper.
she picks out a midi skirt and a loose sweater to go on top, something comfortable enough to feel like a second skin. the cold seems to have seeped in during the night, so she pinches her cheeks to bring some life back into them and ties up her hair in a casual updo.
there's a lovely scent coming from downstairs. normally, azzi would check on the rooms, making sure everything is in order, before going into the kitchen. but the children haven't woken up yet and neither has their minder, the au pair. there's no one to run after.
so she allows herself this respite.
every room in the manor is covered in shadow, because they like to hide things, but the kitchen is different. the kitchen shines bright even when the sun doesn't, and so does paige, their cook.
azzi walks into the kitchen, her steps deliberately soft. she likes not announcing her arrival when paige is in the middle of something. the cook gets this look on her face when she finally notices azzi there, like she's shocked and content at the same time, almost like azzi's just come home after a long time. it makes her feel…warm.
paige is stirring something vigorously, her tongue peeking out slightly as she puts all her effort into beating whatever she's making into submission. her blonde hair i in a loose ponytail with wisps of hair framing her face like glitter floating in the air.
she turns, about to lean against the kitchen counter, when she finally notices azzi.
"azzi. hi."
there it is. there's that look.
she smiles. "good morning, paige."
paige scrunches her nose, and azzi's smile gets a bit wider when she sees it. "not really, is it? bit of a shitty morning, actually."
paige turns her head away from azzi, maybe to hide her face. but that doesn't matter. azzi knows when she hits the mark. that rosy red blush is one of paige's best accessories.
she holds out her spoon towards azzi. "wanna try?"
"what is it?" azzi says, leaning forward.
she pouts. "don't you trust me?"
"sometimes," azzi deadpans.
paige is a lovely cook. she has made some of the best food azzi's ever eaten. but she likes to try some strange combinations, and azzi has been a victim of her experiments before. she has valid reason to be a little suspicious.
paige just pushes the spoon closer. "just try it, azzi."
azzi concedes. the batter is sweet, but buttery, coating her mouth in a sensation she can't even begin to describe. but it's hard to swallow. it won't go down.
"so?"
azzi licks the side of her mouth, cleaning her lips. she doesn't notice paige's eyes dip down. "it's good."
"that's all?"
azzi ignores her. paige likes to fish for compliments she hasn't earned yet. "what is it?"
she sets the bowl down and wipes her hands on her flannel shirt before adjusting her ponytail. "they're…scones."
"scones?" azzi says, surprised.
"look, i know what you're going to say–"
"scones is baking. you're baking."
"yeah–"
azzi crosses her arms. "you suck at baking."
sometimes azzi wonders why she keeps a cook that can't bake, but by the time she found out, the kids had already fallen in love with paige and would've thrown a fit if she fired her. not to mention, azzi's gotten a little attached herself.
apparently, an impulsive cook who likes to put her own spin on things is bad at following the very precise directions in a baking recipe. who could have guessed?
paige wraps her hand around her wrist lightly. "i didn't do anything crazy this time, i promise. they should, for all intents and purposes, turn out edible, at the very least."
azzi considers glaring, but then decides against it. she's learned the hard way that trying to scold paige is one of the hardest things on earth.
she smiles instead, a small, quiet thing. "i guess we'll see."
"we will," paige says, matching her smile with a brighter version.
she turns back to the stove, before looking towards azzi, noticing something. azzi looks around, confused. "you haven't eaten," paige says, already reaching for the fridge door handle.
azzi brushes her off. "it's okay, i'll eat with the kids."
"it's saturday, azzi. you know those rascals won't wake up for at least another four hours," paige counters, grabbing some eggs. "i'll make your favorite. it'll be worth it."
azzi leans against the counter. "you spoil me too much."
"no, i don't. i could stand to do it more often," paige says, completely serious. "besides, if i don't do it, who will?"
the words slip out of paige too easily. a casual admission of care that azzi doesn't know what to do with.
"you just relax," paige continues.
azzi smiles, sheepish. "easier said than done."
"no, it isn't," paige says, walking over to azzi. "it's actually pretty simple."
paige puts both hands on azzi's waist. azzi grabs her forearms and looks up at paige, eyes wide. paige's smirk is too proud for her own good. she lifts azzi up, settling her onto the counter and narrowly avoiding the heels that had started kicking the moment they left the ground. "there. that's better," she whispers up at azzi.
she goes back to her cooking, cracking eggs into a bowl with one hand like nothing even happened. azzi still hasn't caught her breath. except, there's nothing to catch.
"you're really something, paige."
––––– ––– –––––
it's bright outside. it has been for the last couple of days, warming the walls of the house and helping it breathe. it's nice. it helps azzi breathe too.
at least, it used to.
she's been at the house on her own for a while now, just herself and her thoughts. the loneliness has become too friendly, like an old coat she slips on when she gets too tired.
nothing here surprises her anymore.
azzi turns the sink on, letting the warm water flow through her fingers.
the doorbell rings. azzi nearly jumps out of her skin as the water turns cold.
she rushes to dry her hands before running out to open the door. there's a woman on the other side, tall, blonde, with a sharp jawline that offsets the relaxed stance of her body. her mouth is set in an easy smile like it's natural for her, and her eyes are alight, the closest thing to the ocean this drab english manor will ever see.
azzi runs her eyes over her, trying to figure out exactly who she's looking at. she settles on saying,"good morning," when she doesn't come up with any answers.
"hi," the woman says, a little breathless. "i'm paige. i'm here about the cook position?"
"right. of course." she steps out of the way, opening the door further. "come in."
paige smiles, following her into the house.
––––– ––– –––––
there's no sun in the sky.
she's back at the dinner table. the kids are talking to emma, their au pair. they're barely paying attention to azzi. which is a good thing, she supposes, because she feels wrong. like she's been falling for ages and she's still trying to find the ground. in this moment, being invisible feels nice.
it doesn't last, though. one person is paying attention. one person always will.
paige pushes off of the kitchen counter where she's eating her breakfast out of the saucepan she used to cook it. she leaves the pan behind, settling into the chair next to azzi. "azzi? you okay?"
"i'm fine," she says, too quickly.
"you didn't eat this morning. even after i made your favorite."
azzi rubs her temple, flinching. she doesn't know why, but she just couldn't stomach it, even though the food looked so nice and she hasn't eaten in ages. "i'm sorry, i just…didn't feel good."
paige pauses. "did you try the scones?"
azzi looks up at her, a bit bewildered. "no." she smiles, betraying herself. "are they edible?"
"more than," paige confirms, that insufferable smirk that azzi won't admit she likes on her face. "some of my best work, i think."
"i'll be the judge of that," azzi says, taking a scone off the table. paige puts her elbow on the table and leans closer.
she takes a bite. she still can't swallow. paige tilts her head up, expectant. "what do you think?"
azzi looks over towards paige, coffee brown eyes warmed through and through. "it's lovely."
"really?"
"truly."
the smile azzi earns from paige isn't big, but it's soft and wonderful and everything good.
––––– ––– –––––
"why did you leave your last job?"
paige leans back into the chair, her hands fidgeting. "well, i was a sous chef in paris, and you know sous chefs don't really do a lot of cooking. mostly just chopping, and peeling, all the tedious stuff. here, i'd get to have a little more fun, make some of my own food instead of someone else's."
azzi eyes her carefully. "you were in paris?"
"yeah, i moved there after studying in the americas."
"you know," azzi starts. "we need someone who's willing to stay on for a while. the kids, they need consistency. i don't know if someone who's used to the hustle of a city would fit well in a place like this."
paige barely blinks, as casual and at home as she's been since she walked in. "i don't know. i think the quiet could be good for me."
azzi hums. "you don't seem like the type to like the quiet. the opposite, actually."
"am i that transparent?" paige says, smiling. azzi finds herself smiling back.
"just a little."
paige settles her elbows on her knees, looking down at her twiddling fingers. "if i'm honest, all i want is a fresh start. somewhere new."
azzi looks closer at those too-honest eyes. "i can understand that."
––––– ––– –––––
there's no sun in the sky.
which isn't unusual, considering she's inside now. in the attic, if she has to guess.
there's laughter in the hallway.
the kids. i keep telling them to play outside in the gardens. their mother would kill me if she found scuffs on the floor.
azzi turns, ready to snap into the role of a housekeeper, but then her eyes catch on the grandfather clock that reads one pm. three hours past the last time she checked.
she stops.
that can't be right.
someone calls her name and she turns.
––––– ––– –––––
"well, i was a sous chef. in paris. cutting, chopping, and all that. but i figured here, i could do my own cooking, not all that prep stuff."
azzi blinks. she's back in that chair. paige is in front of her, watching her, like there's something worth looking at. "paige?"
"hmm?"
"we've done this–before? haven't we?"
paige's eyes are so kind. too kind. azzi wants to wrap herself up in them and stay.
"we have," she says, voice softer than honey.
"we have," azzi repeats, mostly to herself.
"do you remember?" paige asks. still gentle, still quietly devastating.
azzi smiles at the memory, shaking her head a little. "you came into this big house, wearing a flannel shirt that had oil stains and jeans that were ripped at the knees. you had that smile, you know the one, and despite everything…all i wanted to was to stay with you. near you. listen to you talk forever."
"it was a good day," paige whispers.
azzi's eyes start watering. "it was perfect."
paige reaches over and takes her hand. "but you can't stay. you know that, don't you?"
"why not?" azzi yells, half delirious, but mostly grieving. "why can't i stay?"
there's that smile again. "because it's not real, azzi."
"it's not real."
––––– ––– –––––
there's no sun in the sky. barely any light floods in through the church windows. the wooden pew digs into azzi's skin, pressing into the flesh of her thigh.
she looks up at the cross and closes her eyes.
there's a voice. a familiar one.
"in church already, azzi?" paige calls out. "it's barely 3 pm. have the kids been testing you?"
azzi keeps her eyes closed, but she lets a teasing lilt slip into her voice. "you've been testing me."
she hears some rustling and then a warmth beside her. "have i?" paige whispers into the space between them.
"you always do."
"you like it."
azzi opens her eyes and looks over. paige is next to her, just like she had imagined, and it feels too right. "i do."
paige rests a hand over azzi's. "seriously, azzi. are you okay? something feels…wrong. no, off."
"i–" azzi starts. "i don't know."
"okay," paige says. "that's okay."
azzi says the next words like a confession. "is it?"
paige doesn't say anything. she just breathes, as solid as she's always been, letting the earth slow down just enough for azzi's mind to stop spinning. azzi focuses on the feel of her hand on hers and holds onto it like a tether.
she's real, azzi thinks. you're here, and she's real.
––––– ––– –––––
"well, i was a sous chef in paris. mainly chopping, peeling–"
"you never even tried to impress me during this interview."
paige looks up. she doesn't even look surprised by the interruption. "oh, i was trying to impress you."
azzi snorts. "then you did a horrible job. you didn't even give me a resume."
"i didn't say i was trying to get the job," paige corrects. "i said i was trying to impress you."
azzi looks back. her heart stops in her throat, cold and stuck.
"did i impress you?" paige asks, slow and confident. she's fishing again. she already knows the answer.
azzi crosses her legs. "you know the answer to that."
"do i?" she says, unsure for the first time. "you never said it. you never said a lot of things."
the light filters in through the kitchen windows. azzi looks into it, blinking away tears. "you're right. i didn't."
paige looks down, her face set like someone who knows the future. "now, it's too late."
azzi knits her eyebrows together. "it was the fall, wasn't it? i thought i saved myself in time, but i guess i didn't."
paige doesn't say anything. she just looks at her.
"a little more. just give me a little more," azzi pleads.
––––– ––– –––––
there's no sun in the sky.
it's night now, an endless black, dotted with the glow of the stars and the moon.
"you could go to paris."
azzi looks over at paige, resisting the urge to laugh. "paris? me?"
paige shrugs. "why not?"
they're on the porch, sprawled across the bench and wrapped up in too many blankets. paige takes the wine bottle they're sharing out of her hand.
"what would i do in paris?" azzi says, biting her smile back.
paige takes a swig, a bit of wine dribbling off her chin. she shrugs, trying to be casual, but the motion is too exaggerated for it to seem easy. "you could do whatever you want. eat. travel. see things you've never seen before. do things you've never done."
"i used to want that," azzi whispers, nearly surprising herself. "a fresh start."
"you can still want it," paige says, her blue eyes shining purple in the moonlight.
the wood beneath her creaks, crying out into the nighttime. azzi pulls the blanket up further, fully covering her shoulders.
"i don't know if i can," azzi admits. "i've been here so long. i can barely think about leaving."
"what if i came with you?"
"what?"
paige hands her the wine bottle, her smile more guarded than normal. "we could go together, with nothing but the clothes on our back. we could do whatever the hell we wanted. just the two of us."
azzi can't breathe. stops breathing.
"that would be nice," she says, careful. "paris…with you."
the way paige's face lights up cracks something in azzi's heart. "really?"
"yes," azzi says. there's a rising feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach. paige's arm brushes hers. her heart should be racing.
it isn't.
"i'm going to take you away from here, azzi, " paige says, her words slurring together. "far, far, away." her eyes close, her head falling onto azzi's shoulder. "and we could finally…"
paige's voice trails off. azzi looks over and finds paige asleep, soft snores coming from her mouth.
she lifts her arm, cradling paige's head carefully. paige tucks her head in even further at the touch, and it should comfort azzi, how right it all feels.
but instead she feels like she's signed away her life before it even began.
––––– ––– –––––
"cutting and chopping and all the prep work. but here, i would get to do my own cooking, come up with my own recipes–
"i'm dead."
paige stops. or more accurately, she freezes. her face is turned away from azzi, which might be a mercy.
azzi sniffs, trying to stop herself from crying."that's right, isn't it?"
"it is."
"i went out to take a walk. i stopped by the well to look up at the sky. there was no sun. and then i–"
she keeps whispering it, like the words could fix anything.
"this day was one of my favorites," azzi says, looking up. paige runs her thumb across the skin of azzi's hand. "you, with all your annoyingly irresistible charm and soft eyes, talking to me like it was the easiest thing in the world. i could've stayed in this moment forever with you."
paige doesn't say anything. she just watches with the same gentleness she's always had.
"i do want to go to paris. with you. it's nice to dream about what it would be like if we could leave bly. the small little apartment we'd find that would barely fit all of our things. it wouldn't matter, though, because i would bring flowers to leave on the table and you would smile every time you walked into the kitchen. you would open a restaurant, and i would find something else to do. something lighter. and we would've had a good life. together."
azzi can't stop the tears anymore. she can feel them flowing, but none drip off her face onto her pants. of course not. crying is reserved for the living.
"i loved you, paige."
paige still hasn't moved.
"i should have told you," azzi says, broken and a little desperate.
"it's okay," paige whispers again.
"it's not," azzi shakes her head. "it's not."
"no," paige agrees. "it's not."
"i'm sorry," azzi says. one last confession.
"don't apologize, az." paige smirks like it's an inside joke. "it doesn't matter. it's not real."
"it's not real," azzi repeats.
"yes, azzi," paige affirms. "it's not real. and you have to be feeling it. you're slipping. you're running out of time. you have to go back."
azzi lets go of paige's hand. "i have to–"
"don't worry. you can," paige comforts.
"thank you, paige," azzi says before standing up.
paige looks up. "for what?"
"for letting me stay."
––––– ––– –––––
there's no sun in the sky. but it's almost dawn. it'll be here soon.
paige is still leaning on her shoulder, sleeping soundly. azzi would love to stay and just watch her, but she can feel it all slipping. she's losing time.
she shakes paige lightly. "paige, wake up."
"hmm?" paige groans, still half asleep. she blinks, taking in her surroundings. azzi can't help but smile, saving every second before she loses it all. "oh shit, we fell asleep. or at least i did. sorry, azzi. will saying that you were a very comfortable pillow change anything?"
azzi laughs. the sun starts to glow around paige's face, setting her blonde hair alight.
"paige, i need you to listen."
paige steadies herself at the somberness of azzi's voice. "is everything okay?"
"no," azzi answers honestly.
"what–"
"i need you to check the well," azzi says before she loses her nerve.
"the well? what's wrong with the well?"
"just–" azzi pleads."listen to me."
"okay," paige agrees, like she'd follow azzi anywhere. and that hurts more than anything. because she can't.
azzi grabs paige's arm as tightly as she can, but it doesn't matter. she can't feel the warmth of paige's skin beneath hers.
she's run out of time.
"i love you, " azzi whispers, the words falling like teardrops. "and i'm sorry. i'm so sorry."
––––– ––– –––––
when the housekeeper's body was finally lifted from the well, broken and tired, the way homes with no one to live inside them are, there was no sun in the sky. it was blank, like it had stopped moving out of respect of a soul lost too soon. the police, after their investigation, assumed the housekeeper had just tripped and fell in. a unfortunate tragedy that didn't require too much follow up or noise.
the cook didn't cry much when she found out, at least not where anyone could see. but she did stay with the keeper. she rode with her all the way back to town and insisted on staying where she could see her when they took her to the coroner. they say she even cleaned her herself, with a soft towel, a vanilla scented soap she had bought for the housekeeper once, and the gentlest of touches.
she stayed by her side until they buried her. she even stayed after. she stood over her grave, waiting for the housekeeper to place a hand on her shoulder and surprise her one last time.
the cook left bly manor carefully. she packed her things slowly, afraid of shifting the memories immortalized in the walls. the housekeeper didn't leave much behind, but everything she did found its place in the cook's suitcases. nobody fought her on it. they knew it was hers to take. it was her pain to carry.
the house seemed quieter when she stepped back over the threshold, like it was trying to tell her it would miss her. she dropped a kiss on the foreheads of both kids and promised she would visit. the au pair looked up at her with understanding in her eyes and told her to call if she ever needed anything.
the world was a big place. and really, the cook could've gone anywhere. but she chose to go to paris, where she lived in a small apartment that brightened when it had flowers in the kitchen. she opened a restaurant, a cozy place that people liked to come back to, where the laughter was loud and the love was even louder.
a picture hung in the middle of her restaurant, one of a smiling, golden face, with coffee brown eyes and unruly curls. the cook had taken the picture when the housekeeper wasn't looking and she was scolded for it and told to delete the picture after. but she never did.
the regulars liked to ask her about her cooking and whenever they did, the cook's eyes softened, taken to some other place and some other time. she'd look over at that picture and she'd say, "i made it for someone i love to try."
the cook lived the rest of her days there, her smile adorned by every wrinkle she earned, and her eyes still the soft ocean blue the housekeeper fell for.
it was never a mystery that the cook loved the housekeeper in that house, with every piece of her heart. everyone knew it. they could see it in the way the cook would lean close, hoping for another reluctant smile sent her way.
the remarkable thing was that she loved her after. and that she loves her still.
tags: tattoo fic, tokyo olympics, fluff, gabby "lover girl" williams, marine being an adorable perfectionist, did i already say fluff?
author's note: hello folks! welcome to the williannès fic i promised the people six months ago. to the anon who sent in an ask for a tattoo fic that i accidentally deleted, this is for you. i'm still figuring out how to write them, but hopefully this is somewhat comprehensible. i did momentarily forget the colors of france flag when writing this. so that was a low point. pretty much unedited but fuck it we ball. i'll fix it later. and as always, this is a work of fiction.
wc: 1.8k
tw: swearing? maybe? honestly, i don't remember. and tooth rotting fluff.
-- --- -----
the first time gabby williams sees marine johannès on a highlight reel, she’s in awe. there’s no other way to describe it. every cell in her body zeros in on the basketball player in front her, mesmerized by the way marine would weave across the floor like the game had been stitched into her bones, making insane dimes and hitting threes off one leg like it was second nature. it was beautiful.
damn, she thinks. there’s no one else like her.
months go by, and the memory of marine becomes an afterthought until she’s in tokyo for the olympics, strolling into the locker room for practice. she’d spent the whole morning pacing around her room, alternating between packing her bag and fidgeting with her hands. her muscles were the kind of sore that comes in anticipation, ready to hit the floor hard and the ball even harder. everything was in her was reeling, firing on a thousand cylinders.
and then marine walks in.
the first time she sees marine, in person this time, she’s in awe again. her heart picks up and all of that energy that was supposed to fuel her dissipates into a flustered nervousness that crawls up her neck, into her cheeks. she’s so beautiful, painted with the type of loveliness that would’ve gotten her a statue in the ancient times, and gabby can’t breathe.
marine looks over at her and gives her a soft, lopsided smile. it’s the most endearing thing that gabby’s ever seen. her heart stops and starts up again for the fifth time in the last three seconds.
great. this is where i die, she thinks. well. it’s been a good run.
half of her wants to burrow straight into the ground and keep going until she pops out on the other side and the other half needs to be friends with marine. this seems like one of those moments where the right choice could change her whole life, hopefully for the better. so the awkward side of her was just gonna have to shut up. she’s going to be brave. and not socially inept.
she walks up to marine’s locker, stopping in front of the bench and rocking slightly on her feet. marine looks up at her, her eyes a stark shade of blue that makes gabby’s brain short circuit.
say something, gabby.
“hi.”
really? that’s what you come up with?
marine smiles and it’s brighter than the moon. “hello.”
“you’re marine, right? marine johannès?”
marine blinks, caught off guard. “yes?”
“i’ve seen your highlight reels,” gabby says, the words tumbling out against her will. “you’re incredible.”
“thank you. a high compliment coming from gabby williams.”
now it’s gabby’s turn to look shocked. “you know who i am?”
marine shrugs casually, and the motion somehow sets off even more butterflies in gabby’s stomach. “everyone does. you’re hard to miss.”
“oh. cool.”
smooth, gabby.
marine closes her locker and turns back towards her, that same soft smile still on her face and gabby is about 20 seconds from becoming a puddle in the floor. “do you speak french?” marine asks, in the aforementioned language.
“yes. right. i forgot about that.”
“you forgot you were on the french national team?”
gabby rubs the back of her neck sheepishly. “…yeah.”
“it’s okay,” marine says, walking towards the gym. “you’re still cute.”
gabby blushes at that and nearly trips over her shoelaces as she follows her out the door.
later that night, when she calls up her favorite sister (at least according to jada, she is) and can't stop herself from going on and on about the blonde girl with the pretty eyes that had the most insane shot she's ever seen, she knows, that she's deeper in than she ever thought she could be. and she doesn't quite mind it.
-- --- -----
"you have a lot of tattoos."
gabby looks up from her phone and towards the other girl, who had stopped in the middle of her cleaning session to observe gabby, it seems. she smiles. "what an astute observation, mar."
"no, i—" marine starts, walking over and sitting on the edge of the bed, close enough that gabby's legs could feel the warmth of her skin.
it amazed gabby, how easily they had become like this, like they had been orbiting each other for years, not weeks. it was so easy to slot into marine's life, as if the space had already been carved out for her. they went to every practice together and stayed glued at the hip after. sometimes, marine would come over, or gabby would seek her out, just to make the strange city feel a little more familiar. they said they would just stay in each other's space until they got sick of it, but they never seemed to.
marine crosses her arms, her face serious except for her lips, which were quirked up in a way that suggested she had something that up her sleeve. gabby set her phone down. she had a feeling that this might need all her attention.
"i have a proposition."
gabby narrows her eyes. "o-kay. that sounds serious."
marine shrugs. "not serious. more of a…bet."
"interesting. what did you have in mind?"
"you brought your tattoo gun, right?" marine asks, even though she knows gabby does. "if we win a medal, i get to tattoo you."
gabby laughs."what?"
"can i tattoo you? if we win the medal?"
gabby just stares at her. marine doesn't flinch, her body relaxed like it always is. "you can tattoo me right now, if you want."
"no, i want to mark the occasion. i want us to earn it."
her heart softens, and she's sure her face looks pathetically lovesick right now. "okay. if we win the medal, you can tattoo whatever you want on me."
marine looks like she's won something and gabby wished she knew that gabby would give her anything, everything, if she only asked. there was nothing to win. it was already hers. but that's an insane thing to think about someone you met a couple weeks ago, so she keeps her mouth shut.
she doesn't say anything, just sets her hand on gabby's shin like it was a response. and if that simple touch set gabby's skin on fire, no one needed to know.
the mattress shifts when marine gets up to finish her cleaning. gabby misses her already.
"i have to think of a good tattoo idea," marine says in between spritzes of cleaner. "the french flag would be too boring."
gabby bites her bottom lip nervously, smiling to hide it. "are you that sure we'll get a medal?"
"yes," marine says, like it's a fact not an opinion, as true as gravity. "you and me. this team. i believe we can do it."
-- --- -----
when they beat serbia, and it sinks in that they are olympic medalists, the first thing gabby looks for is marine. and when she finally finds her, marine is already looking at her, tears in her opal eyes.
"we did it. we actually did it." gabby whispers into marine's skin that was damp with sweat and victory.
marine laughs, joy spilling out of her. "i told you. i told you we would."
gabby pulls back, a glimmer in her eye. "and now you owe me a tattoo."
-- --- -----
"this was literally your idea, mar."
marine inhales, fingers placed precariously on gabby's thigh. she doesn't lift her eyes from the blank patch of skin she's staring at. "i know. i just need a second."
"it's been thirty minutes," gabby deadpans. at this rate, she could go out, pick up dinner, and marine still won't be ready to do the tattoo that was, once again, her idea.
marine finally looks up from where she is kneeling, her eyes flitting around nervously. gabby softens immediately, bending over so their faces were closer. she places her hand over marine's and watches her steel herself, breathing in deeply.
"i just…i don't want to mess it up. it's your body," she looks down again, tracing the space with her fingers. goosebumps break out all across gabby's skin and she inhales shakily . "i want it to be perfect."
gabby smiles softly. "it won't be. that's the beautiful thing about tattoos. the imperfections."
"you asked me for this. and i said yes," gabby continues, pausing. she wants marine to hear the sincerity in her voice. "i want you to do it. you can't mess this up."
marine scoffs. "you seem very confident."
"that's because i am," gabby says, with no room for doubt. "besides, it's you. this is probably the closest i'll get to perfection."
"charmer," marine mumbles.
gabby smirks. "no. just honest."
"okay," marine says, rolling her shoulders. "i'm doing it."
"are you sure? cause i can come back tomorrow."
marine glares at her and gabby presses her lips together to muffle her laugh. "shut up."
when the needle pricks her skin, gabby has to remind herself to breathe, not because of the pain, but because of the entirely distracting feeling of marine's hands on her. the whole process passes in a blur of marine's razor sharp focus and gabby's gay panicking heart.
marine wipes gabby's thigh with an antiseptic wipe. "there, done."
gabby looks down and sees the little pacman eating the blue, white, and red dots. "it's so…cute," she whispers, strangely delighted by it. "thank you, marine."
marine stands, wiping her hands on her hips and shrugging in that nonchalant way she always did. "it was nothing."
gabby grabs her arm and pulls her into a hug. "it's perfect," she whispers, just loud enough for marine to hear.
-- --- -----
couple years and confessions later, gabby and marine were laying in bed, lounging around after an especially tiring practice. marine was lying in between gabby's thighs as her hands idly traced gabby's tattoos. it was one of her favorite things to do when it was just them, in the same space, breathing the same air and living in each other's skin.
Caitlin stood at the elevator door watching the numbers tick up from 2 heading up to 15. She'd been hanging out with a few other basketball players and various people tied to the league and it's sponsors, at the rooftop bar in the hotel doing most of the athlete hosting.
“Hey girl, I thought I saw you leave a while ago." Natasha walked up to her after walking into the hall from a different door. They embraced in a quick hug that ended a bit too soon.
“Tash! I thought you left too, saw you walk out with Sophie.. was a little sad might not see you before I leave." Caitlin flashed a playful pout. “You heading home now?"
The doors opened to the elevator, both stepping in. Natasha hit the lobby button, her hand hovering waiting for Caitlin to say which floor she was going to with a non-committal shrug.
"Lobby for me too.”
" What, you comin’ with me?” Cloud responded with her own playful wink. "Nah.. let me stop playin’. ”
"I've gotta go to the front desk real quick. But uhh.. you can come back up and hang with me if you want.” Caitlin smiled again before heading to the lobby front desk after the doors opened.
Natasha blinked back a hint of surprise but stayed right by the elevator door. There was a vibe she thought she was feeling between them, staying for a little while couldn't really hurt.
Xx
“Can I get you anything? Minibar should be restocked, you can grab whatever you want.” Caitlin watched the Mercury player walk in and come to a halt, taking in the size of the one bedroom suite.
Of course this would be the room she had.
Caitlin plucked the red Phillies cap from Natasha's head and popped it onto her own with a shrug and a grin. “Hat tax."
“Oh alright, I see you now." Natasha abandoned the want for a drink, her attention now fully on the girl moving around the space putting the few things she had been holding down, taking shoes off, readjusting the red cap on her head.
“I can always order up room service if you want." She said while settling down on the couch, skirt hiking up just the tiniest bit, showing off more porcelain muscular thighs.
Natasha felt a little jolt as she stole a few glances of the sight sat before her. “Nobody else is staying up here with you? Or..?"
“Nope. Just me."
Earlier in the day she and Sophie had joked about whether or not either of them would be hooking up with anyone before the weekend was over, while she didn't think it wasn't a possibility, and still wasn't exactly sure how or why she was up in Caitlin Clark's hotel suite, the potential was becoming a little more real.
“You can come sit, ya know. You can get comfortable, unless you have somewhere to be? I hear All Star Weekend can get.. I don't know, it's my first so..”
Natasha sat close enough so their knees knocked but shifted so there was some space between them. There was a little spark of.. something.. but she wasn't about to assume anything. Her eyes bounced from the expanse of uncovered legs to the neck she wanted to be nipping. The way Caitlin was biting her lower lip had her questioning her own resolve.
“You know you're trouble right now."
“What.. why? I promise I won't keep your hat." Caitlin wasn't usually this bold but the energy of the game and everything that happened so far had her confidence still running high. “Those boots though.. "
“My Timbs?"
“What size? They look like they'll fit, lemme try them on?" Caitlin sprung up from the couch.
“Taking my clothes one piece at a time?" Natasha didn't know why but she kicked them off. Watching as her boots were now on Caitlin's feet paired with her skirt and that white top, she was turned on and itching to touch every inch of exposed skin.
“I can rock this, whaddya think?" CC did a hip sway. The boots and skirt didn't exactly match but the air between them was getting hotter by the second.
The thought of hooking up with the 8 year vet hadn't crossed her mind, even after inviting her to stay but in that moment, when their eyes locked while she was standing over her still wearing the boots, Caitlin desperately wanted to. The ache building between her legs taking her by surprise.
Her inexperience started to show as she pitched forward to kiss Natasha, the brim of the hat slamming into the bridge of her nose. Caitlin instantly panicked, taking a step back. "Fuck! I'm sorry. I.. “
" Let's take that off? We can try that again if you're sure you wanna?” The hat hit the floor with a thump and the boots were kicked off and left next to the couch.
The kiss was heavy and slow, the space between them closed as Natasha pulled her in tight, wanting to feel everything she could while still standing and both still fully clothed.
Caitlin tried to rush things along again, gripping the hem of Natasha's sweatshirt and tugging upwards, the button up still layered over it causing it to bunch up. She flushed with a bit of embarrassment.
“Someone's a little eager." Natasha said with a hiccup of a laugh.
Caitlin’s blush spread from her neck to her cheeks, her inexperience showing again. "Sorry.. I just.. “
"Have you done this before?” Natasha ran her fingers up the back of Caitlin's bare leg stopping just under the line of the leather skirt. The feeling better than she could have anticipated.
"No.. this? No. Wait yeah.. I've been with other.. “ The blush started to clear but the thumping in her center steadily increased.
Xx
“Taaash.. fuck.. stop teas-" Caitlin sucked in a harsh breath as she was pushed over the edge, her fingers digging into braided scalp and the rumpled sheets beneath their naked bodies tugged to the brink of tearing. Her moans were half silenced by the taste of her own juices on the fingers being slid into her mouth.
They had been going at it for hours at this point. Starting at the couch, Caitlin claiming the first orgasm out of Natasha while on her knees. They stripped each other down to underwear. Cait in a matching lacy grey bra and thong set, Tash in matching black sports bra and boxer briefs.
Watching Caitlin sink to her knees tugging the boxers down, big dark doe eyes waiting for permission had Tasha wide eyed with her own arousal. Once granted she held nothing back and what she lacked in experience and skill she more than made up for with enthusiasm. It hadn't taken long after Tasha fisted dark hair to both hold on and guide the rookie.
The pair moved to the bedroom, having shed the rest of what was left on their bodies, Caitlin's back hitting the bed with the guard landing on top, fitting between her legs.
“I did not have this on my radar but I got a feeling you did. You do seem to get whatever it is you want."
“Shut up I do not!" Caitlin emphasized her words with a firm squeeze of her ass. “But I did feel a little sad when I left the bar thinking I wouldn't see you again before the break. And then there you were.. "
Natasha kisses and lightly suckled her way down the length of Caitlin's body while her hands explored. She tweaked both nipples, squeezed and massaged both tits, enjoying the size and response to her actions. When she reached the area just above her hair line she looked up waiting for permission. A quick nod came but she waited still.
" I need more, I wanna hear you say it.”
Caitlin whined a bit, verbalizing the things she wanted in bed had never come easy. She sighed at the kisses being pressed into her inner thighs but whined again when they stopped.
"Tash.. please..”
"Please? Please what babygirl? What do you want and like?” Natasha held down the hips that were trying to roll up, her center searching for some relief. She knew the effects she was having but would wait until she got what she wanted.
" Touch me.”
" How?”
" I.. with your mouth?”
" Is that all?” Natasha was barely able to hold back, the sweet scent pulling her in inch by inch.
“I want your fingers inside me.. FUCK!"
Caitlin was so worked up she yelped at the first pass of Natasha's tongue through her dripping folds, it was a miracle she didn't cum right there. After being edged for what felt like an eternity, she was finally allowed to fall over the edge. The instant bliss was unlike anything she'd felt before. The sheer force of the orgasm had her shaking and mumbling and seeing stars.
The pair switched up a few more times, Caitlin cumming while riding Natasha's thigh, Natasha taking a quick explosive ride on Caitlin's face. The time had gone by in a blink but both women finally collapsed side by side in the middle of the king sized bed, trying their best to avoid any of the wet spots they each left behind.
“Babygirl!” Natasha said with a light laugh. "That was.. I woulda never thought you could give head like that.. damn.."
“Nah.. now you're just saying that.." Caitlin buried her face in the pillow, not really sure how to take that specific compliment but she'd let it feed her ego for the time being.
Xx
Caitlin's eyes flew open at the sound of a ringing that wasn't familiar to her, then she felt the warmth of the body pressed into her side. "Tash.. hey.. is that your phone?”
She burrowed back down under the covers and was just about to doze off when she heard the sound of her phone ringing and buzzing on the nightstand beside her. Without thinking she hit answer and Kate's face lit up the screen.
"Hey.. what time is it?” She wiped some of the sleep from her eyes. Her hair still in a sleep rumpled mess.
"Like 8:15” Natasha answered and rolled into frame, not realizing she wasn't the one being asked or that it was a FaceTime. "Oh shit!”
"Who is that? What is.. where are you? Did you hookup with-"
Caitlin had hit end call before Kate could finish her sentence. She tossed her phone aside and laid there trying not to panic.
" Tell her or don't. Either is okay with me, whatever works for you, okay?” Natasha pressed a soft kiss to Caitlin's forehead, a look of sincerity written on her face.
“Okay.. You want to stay for breakfast? We can order. Coffee's actually uhm pretty good here. " Caitlin sat up, the sheet falling down to pool in her lap.
“Babygirl. I bet you a red Phillies cap that the coffee doesn't taste anywhere as good as you. I do have to head out though. Got a flight in a couple hours and haven't packed yet because *somebody* kept me out all night.”
" I've never done *this* before.. like hookup with someone spontaneously. So I.. or do we.. is this..?”
" Enjoy Mexico.” Natasha walked back into the room fully dressed, hat in hand, she tossed it onto the bed with a wink. "Message me any time and if you want this to happen again.. and the circumstances are right.. yeah, I'm here for that. No hard feelings either way.”
" I might wanna wear those Timbs again.”
" I might let you..” Natasha yelled back just before the door clicked shut.
Caitlin flopped back on the bed, phone in hand, blankets pulled up tight and FaceTime’d Kate. The second she answered Kate wanted to know all the details. She held out for a few minutes, fully intending to tell her but making her wait.
“Was that Natasha? Tash Cloud?! I know her braids anywhere! Phoenix really rolled out the red carpet for you!"
“Shut up! Wasn't like I planned it.. but if I did, she would have far exceeded.." Caitlin nestled back into her pillows, getting lost in the memories for a little bit longer while Kate confirmed their plans to meet up the next day on the Iowa campus before heading to Mexico for a few days of basketball free vacation.
