#Ruby Roo | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

lanadelspray02 · 1 month ago

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HOLD ME ANYWAY: CHAPTER 17

paige x azzi

warning: sexual content

Hey guys, this chapter is quite long, so just warning y'all now. I lowkey gave up editing towards the end because I was over it, but I did say I would post tomorrow morning, so that's what I'm gonna do. Let me know your thoughts, give me your reactions, and ideas for future chapters. Thank you for showing love and, I appreciate every single one of you. Enjoy <3

crossposted ao3 here

masterlist here

wc: 15,039

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The sky was soft and overcast as Azzi knelt in front of Ruby by the front door, gently adjusting the tiny hood of her daughter’s jacket for what felt like the hundredth time that morning. Ruby squirmed impatiently, clutching Sparklehorn under one arm, eyes bright with barely-contained excitement. Azzi tugged the drawstrings carefully until they framed Ruby’s face like cosy earmuffs, and as she straightened up, her daughter looked up at her with a grin so radiant it was contagious.

"We get Paigey's shirt now, Mama?" Ruby asked eagerly, her little sneakers lighting up softly with each excited bounce.

Azzi smiled warmly down at her, feeling a fluttering warmth in her chest as she nodded. "We sure do, baby. But remember" Azzi put a finger to her lips, lowering her voice playfully, "it's a secret mission. Gotta stay sneaky."

Ruby’s eyes widened dramatically, and she quickly mimicked the gesture, whispering back, "Sneaky like spy."

Downtown Storrs had that gentle, early Monday morning quiet, sidewalks damp from overnight rain, a faint aroma of fresh espresso drifting from the nearby café, and the shops just starting to flicker to life. Nika was already waiting for them by the corner, hands buried deep in the pockets of her oversized UConn hoodie, a familiar teasing smile curving at the corners of her lips.

"Morning, super spies," she greeted quietly, crouching down to bump fists gently with Ruby, who responded with utmost seriousness.

"You ready for this mission, Roo?"

Ruby nodded earnestly, hugging Sparklehorn a little tighter. "We gonna be so sneaky," she whispered conspiratorially.

Azzi chuckled softly as the three of them started walking toward the UConn campus store, her heart feeling simultaneously heavy and buoyant. This wasn’t just buying a jersey; it was another step toward intertwining the pieces of her life, the carefully protected space she’d built around Ruby, and the new, warm place Paige had carved into their world.

Inside the campus store, a quiet hum of background music blended gently with the faint shuffle of early-morning shoppers. Azzi guided Ruby straight toward the youth apparel section, where miniature jerseys hung neatly arranged in perfect rows. Ruby gasped softly, eyes fixating on the display.

"There she is, Mama," Ruby whispered, voice reverent and sweetly awed as she pointed toward a tiny navy-blue jersey with Paige’s number 5 boldly printed in crisp white.

Azzi crouched down beside Ruby, carefully pulling the jersey from the rack and holding it gently against Ruby's chest, heart swelling softly at the sight.

"Perfect fit," Nika confirmed warmly, eyes sparkling with gentle amusement.

Ruby looked down at the jersey, small fingers tracing the bright number five carefully, before glancing up at Azzi again, seeking reassurance.

"Paigey gonna love it, Mama?"

Azzi smiled softly, cupping Ruby’s cheek tenderly. "She's gonna absolutely love it."

At the checkout counter, Azzi felt a brief flicker of nervousness when a student employee glanced curiously between Ruby and her, clearly recognising Azzi but too polite to comment. Nika smoothly handled the small talk, asking casual questions about upcoming events and distracting the cashier as Azzi paid quickly in cash, grateful for her friend's subtle support.

When they stepped back outside, Ruby insisted on proudly carrying the small UConn-branded bag herself, holding it carefully like the precious treasure it was. "It got Paigey’s number," Ruby announced brightly, swinging the bag gently as she walked, sneakers blinking cheerfully with each step.

Azzi reached down and squeezed Ruby’s free hand gently, her chest aching softly with love and a quiet, cautious pride.

As they made their way down the street, Azzi's gaze drifted to the nearby art store, its colourful window displays brimming with craft supplies that practically shouted Ruby’s name. She glanced at Ruby thoughtfully, an idea already taking shape.

"You wanna make Paigey something special, Roo? Maybe a sign and a picture for her birthday?"

Ruby’s face lit up immediately, her steps quickening excitedly as she tugged Azzi forward. "Yes! We gotta get glitter, Mama!"

Azzi laughed gently, catching Nika’s amused glance before nodding in agreement. "Of course, baby. All the glitter."

--------------------

The art store was exactly the kind of shop Ruby dreamed about—walls lined with vibrant shelves filled with every shade of paint imaginable, glitter tubes sparkling beneath the lights, and stacks of paper in colours Azzi couldn’t even name. Ruby paused just inside the doorway, eyes wide with awe like she’d stepped into a magical kingdom.

“Wow, Mama,” she whispered, clutching Sparklehorn tight to her chest as she spun slowly, taking it all in.

Azzi gently brushed a loose curl behind Ruby’s ear, smiling at her daughter’s wonder. “You can pick whatever you need, Roo. Today’s mission is making Paigey’s birthday special, yeah?”

Ruby nodded hard, eyes shining. “Uh-huh! Paigey need lotsa colours. And glitter. And sparkles.”

Azzi laughed as Ruby hurried to the crayon aisle, her little fingers reaching for the biggest box she could lift. “Dis one got all the colours!” Ruby said proudly, hugging it close as she turned to Azzi and Nika. Her small face was very serious. “Paigey need da best ones.”

Nika crouched down beside her, grinning. “Hmm, you sure there’s enough glitter in there for Paigey?”

Ruby blinked, thinking hard. Then she grabbed a big pack of glitter glue and plopped it on top. “Now it’s sparkly,” she said with a firm nod.

Nika glanced up at Azzi with a chuckle. “You’re raising a perfectionist.”

Azzi just smiled, eyes soft. “She knows what she likes.”

They made their way slowly through the shop, Ruby picking out stickers shaped like stars, hearts, and basketballs, and then adding a packet of rainbow markers that she declared were “for sign stuff.” She held one marker up and whispered, “Dis one’s purple. Paigey like purple.”

Finally, she stopped in front of a shelf filled with picture frames, staring quietly. Azzi knelt beside her, hand gentle on her back. “What are you thinkin’, Roo?”

Ruby didn’t speak at first, just bit her lip in concentration. Then she picked up a little heart-shaped frame and a bigger wooden one. “Tiny one for Paigey’s room,” she said slowly, lifting them both. “Big one for big picsha.”

Azzi’s chest tightened at the sweetness of it. “Perfect choice, baby,” she murmured, kissing the top of Ruby’s head.

As they approached the checkout, Nika checked her phone and sighed. “Gotta head to class,” she said, crouching again to gently tap Ruby’s cheek. “You okay finishin’ the mission without me, Roo?”

Ruby nodded seriously, hugging Sparklehorn. “I do it. Promise.”

Nika stood with a warm smile and bumped Azzi’s shoulder. “Good luck, mama bear.”

Azzi grinned, nudging her back. “Thanks for the backup.”

“Anytime. Can’t wait to see Paige’s face,” Nika called as she walked backwards toward the door, then slipped out with a wink.

Azzi and Ruby finished at the checkout, Azzi taking the heavy bags while Ruby proudly held the two picture frames all by herself. When they stepped outside, sunlight peeked through the clouds and Ruby looked up eagerly.

“We goin’ home now, Mama?”

Azzi shook her head, smiling as she gently squeezed Ruby’s hand. “Not yet, bub. One more stop, real special. Mama needs help pickin’ something for Paigey.”

Ruby’s eyes lit up. “More presents?”

Azzi laughed softly. “Just one more. Somethin’ really special.”

Ruby nodded hard, skipping beside her. “Kay, Mama. We pick da best one.”

--------------------

The jewellery store was quiet and softly lit, the faint chime of a bell signalling their entry as Azzi gently ushered Ruby inside. Glass display cases sparkled beneath warm overhead lights, delicate necklaces and shining bracelets arranged neatly like treasures. Ruby paused just inside the doorway, clutching Sparklehorn close, eyes wide with cautious wonder as she looked around.

“Mama,” she whispered carefully, voice hushed in the fancy quiet of the shop, “it’s really shiny in here.”

Azzi smiled and gave her hand a gentle squeeze, leading her slowly toward the display of rings. “It is a little fancy,” she agreed softly, her eyes warm. “But we’re gonna find something special for Paigey, remember?”

Ruby nodded seriously, already peering through the glass with focused curiosity.

The shopkeeper, a kind-looking older woman with silver hair neatly pinned back, approached them with a gentle smile, clearly delighted by the little girl’s intent expression. “Is there something special you’re looking for today?” she asked kindly, meeting Azzi’s eyes with quiet interest.

Azzi returned the smile. “We’re after a ring. Something simple but special—engraved, if that’s possible.”

Ruby stood on her tiptoes, voice small but firm. “It for Paigey. Her birfday.”

The shopkeeper chuckled softly, her eyes twinkling. “Ah, a birthday gift, how lovely. And who’s Paigey, sweetheart?”

Ruby hugged Sparklehorn tight against her chest and offered a shy smile. “Mama’s bestest friend. She loves us lots and lots.”

Azzi felt warmth bloom in her chest at Ruby’s words, gently running a hand over her curls. She met the woman’s gaze. “Something simple. Maybe silver. And engraved with initials P, R, A.”

The woman nodded thoughtfully. “I think I’ve got something perfect.”

She returned moments later with a delicate silver band, the light catching across the smooth metal as she laid it gently on the velvet display. Azzi picked it up carefully, the ring warm and meaningful in her hand, quietly beautiful in its simplicity.

Ruby leaned in eagerly, brushing a small finger along the edge. “It pretty, Mama,” she said softly, her eyes wide.

Azzi smiled, heart tightening. “I think so too, Roo. Think Paigey’s gonna like it?”

Ruby nodded fast, serious as ever. “Uh-huh. She love it.”

She turned earnestly to the shopkeeper. “Can you put da letters on it for Paigey, please?”

The woman smiled, clearly charmed. “Of course, sweetheart. We’ll make it beautiful.”

While the engraving was done, Ruby sat on Azzi’s lap, her legs swinging gently as she whispered updates to Sparklehorn in a quiet, secret tone. Azzi smoothed her hand over Ruby’s hair, watching her with quiet affection. The ring wasn’t just a gift, it felt like a quiet promise, something steady and permanent in a life that had changed so much.

When the shopkeeper returned, she placed the ring gently in Azzi’s hand again. The silver glinted softly, now engraved with three small letters: P R A.

Ruby leaned close, inspecting it closely. “Look, Mama!” she whispered proudly. “It say us!”

Azzi felt her throat tighten, her heart soft and full. She kissed Ruby’s temple gently. “It does, baby. It’s all of us.”

As Azzi paid, carefully tucking the velvet box into her coat pocket, the shopkeeper gave Ruby a kind smile. “Paigey’s very lucky to have you two,” she said gently.

Ruby smiled, lifting Sparklehorn’s hoof in a shy little wave. “We lucky too,” she murmured, curling into Azzi’s side.

Azzi wrapped her arm around her daughter, feeling a quiet swell of gratitude. As they stepped back into the soft afternoon light, she reached down and took Ruby’s hand. “Ready to head home, Roo?”

Ruby nodded fast, skipping alongside her with a bounce in every step. “Paigey gonna have da best birfday ever, Mama.”

Azzi smiled, gently squeezing her hand again. “She definitely is, baby.”

--------------------

By the time they got home, the sky had cleared into a soft, pale blue and the house smelled faintly of roasted garlic and something warm baking in the oven. Azzi unlocked the door with her hip while balancing the art supplies, and Ruby charged ahead with her frames clutched tightly in both arms, announcing their return with all the confidence of a toddler on a mission.

“We home! We got da sparkles!”

Katie popped her head out from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a dish towel. “Welcome back, sparkles. Did you buy out the whole shop?”

Ruby nodded very seriously, holding up her frames like trophies. “One for Paigey’s room. One for big picsha. We got crayons too!”

Tim appeared behind Katie, raising an eyebrow at the bags Azzi dropped on the bench. “You planning a parade or an art gallery?”

Azzi laughed, brushing curls from her face as she helped Ruby out of her jacket. “Bit of both, probably. Ruby’s making her sign tomorrow with Caroline and Ines. And she’s drawing a picture for Paige. It’s kind of a whole thing.” Her tone stayed light, but her eyes lingered on the window a moment longer than they needed to, something unspoken simmering beneath her calm.

Katie caught it straight away. “You okay?”

Azzi hesitated for a beat, then gave a small nod. “Yeah. I just… can we talk? Just us for a minute?”

Tim smiled gently. “Of course. Ruby, want to help me sort the groceries?”

Ruby gasped dramatically like she'd just been promoted to secret agent. “Yes! I be da boss!” She grabbed Tim’s hand and followed him out of the kitchen, chattering about fruit and cake and birthday stuff.

Azzi leaned against the counter, arms crossed, eyes on the floor. Katie came to stand beside her but didn’t say anything, just waited.

After a long pause, Azzi finally spoke. “I didn’t expect it to get this far.”

Katie’s brow furrowed slightly. “With Paige?”

Azzi nodded, letting out a slow breath. “Not just us. With her and Ruby. It’s like… Paige just slotted into our world like she’d always been there. Ruby loves her. Like, really loves her. And I know Paige loves her too. And me. But now that it’s getting real, I—” She trailed off, chewing her lip. “I don’t want to hide anymore, Mum. Not Ruby. Not what we are. But I also don’t want to open her up to being picked apart just because people wanna know who I’m dating. Or who Ruby is to Paige.”

Katie reached over and gently rested a hand on her daughter’s arm, voice low and sure. “You’re not wrong to worry. But you’re also not wrong to want to be seen. You’ve built something really good, Az. With Paige. With Ruby. And whatever the world says, this is real. That’s what matters.”

Azzi blinked, the pressure in her chest easing just a little. “It’s her birthday on Wednesday. And it’s game day, so everything’s gonna feel big already. But I want it to feel personal too. I’m surprising her in the morning. Going to her dorm. We’ll get ready together, and you and Dad’ll have Ruby dressed in her jersey and ready to go. I want Paige to look up into the crowd and see her. I want her to know this isn’t a secret. That she’s part of all this.”

Katie’s eyes filled, her voice soft. “She’ll know. She probably already does.”

Azzi leaned her elbows on the bench, her voice dropping quieter. “I got her a ring. Just a little one. Silver. It’s got our initials—P, R, A.”

Katie exhaled slowly, visibly moved. “Azzi…”

“It’s not a proposal,” Azzi said quickly, shaking her head. “Just… a promise. From us. Me and Ruby. That she’s ours. And we’re hers too.”

Tim returned just then, carrying Ruby in one arm like a sack of potatoes while she squealed with laughter.

“You two conspiring over there?”

Azzi turned, smiling. “Kind of.”

Tim set Ruby down and Katie scooped her up for a kiss on the cheek. “We’ve been briefed,” she said, grinning. “Birthday surprise, game-day mission, family dinner after.”

Azzi nodded. “Yeah. I was thinking… something simple. Doesn’t need to be fancy. Just the five of us. I want her to feel like this is home.”

Tim rubbed his chin. “Pizza place with dessert?”

“Ruby said there has to be cake,” Azzi added, smiling.

Ruby gasped, eyes wide. “Candle cake!”

Katie laughed. “I’ll call around, see where we can book.”

Azzi took a deep breath, her heart feeling a little lighter. “Thanks. I’ll tell her about dinner after the game. After she sees Ruby in the crowd.”

Tim stepped forward, gentle as he placed a hand on Azzi’s shoulder. “You’re doing a good job, Azzi. With all of it. Don’t forget that.”

Azzi blinked quickly, her throat tight. “Thanks, Dad.”

Katie squeezed her other arm. “Now go rest. You’ve got a big few days ahead.”

Azzi glanced over at Ruby, who was now spinning in a circle with Sparklehorn in one hand, giggling. “Yeah,” she said softly. “I really do.”

--------------------

Tuesday afternoon settled gently over the house, the sun casting soft golden streaks through the living room windows as Caroline and Ines arrived, arms full of snacks, even more craft supplies, and one oversized bottle of glitter Azzi definitely hadn’t asked for. Ruby stood at the centre of it all, barefoot on the rug with her curls pulled into two messy puffs, already directing traffic like a tiny general.

“We makin’ da sign first!” she declared, pointing to the table like a coach calling plays. “Then da picsha for Paigey!”

Caroline placed a hand over her heart. “Yes, ma’am. Right to business.” She dropped the confetti bag onto the table and crouched beside Ruby. “So what’s the vision? Talk me through it.”

Ruby pointed solemnly to the big poster board Azzi had laid out earlier. “It gonna say ‘GO PAIGEY!’ Wif sparkles. And rainbows. And a unicorn dunkin’ a ball.”

Ines plopped onto the floor beside them, already unzipping a pouch of markers. “That’s ambitious. How many sparkles are we talking?”

“All of dem,” Ruby replied straight away. “She need da sparkliest sign.”

Azzi hovered nearby, sipping tea and watching the glittery chaos with quiet fondness. Caroline and Ines moved around Ruby like seasoned pros, letting her take the lead, asking questions, offering help without taking over. Ines even let Ruby draw on her arm when she spilled glitter glue, and Caroline kept breaking off bits of chocolate pretzels and feeding them to Ruby like she was royalty.

They worked in joyful, messy disorder for almost an hour. Ruby narrated everything she did, pausing after each scribble to explain. “Dis Paigey jumpin’. Dis me cheerin’. Dis Sparklehorn flyin’ in da sky wif a cape.”

Ines nodded seriously. “Naturally. All good game signs need a flying unicorn.”

“She’s our secret weapon,” Caroline added with a wink.

When the sign was finally declared finished; big, bold letters reading GO PAIGEY! with wonky stars, basketballs, and two rainbows across the top, Ruby stood on her chair to admire it.

“She gonna see it and be so happy,” she whispered, not to anyone in particular, just to herself and Sparklehorn.

Azzi walked over and kissed the top of her head. “She will be, baby. She’ll love it.”

Ines and Caroline helped her place the sign gently on the counter to dry, then started packing up the supplies.

“You’re raising an art director,” Ines said, rolling up a tube of sparkly stickers. “She’s got more vision than anyone in my film class.”

Caroline stood up and brushed glitter off her jeans. “Alright, we better get going before we’re late for dinner.”

Ines stretched with a groan, holding up the finished sign proudly. “Masterpiece complete. Paige better cry when she sees this.”

Azzi laughed. “She just might.”

Ruby clutched the edge of the sign like it was gold. “Fank you!” she said seriously, then added, “Bye-bye! Don’t tell Paigey nuffin’!”

Caroline grinned as she grabbed her bag. “Our lips are sealed, Roo.”

“See you at the game,” Ines added, waving as they stepped out.

“Thanks again, guys,” Azzi said warmly, walking them to the door. “You’re the best.”

The door clicked shut behind them, and the apartment felt quieter, but charged like everything that mattered was still to come.

When the house was quiet again, Azzi washed her hands, checked the glue on the sign, then returned to Ruby at the kitchen table. The wooden frame and a fresh sheet of white paper were already waiting.

Azzi crouched beside her, wiping a patch of glitter off her cheek. “Alright, baby,” she said gently, pulling the paper forward. “Ready to make your special picture for Paigey?”

Ruby nodded, legs swinging, tongue poking out as she grabbed a purple crayon. “Dis one for her pants,” she said carefully, then glanced up. “Paigey like purple?”

Azzi smiled softly. “She likes whatever you give her.”

Satisfied, Ruby got to work, drawing wobbly stick figures with careful little hands, curly hair on one, long legs on another, and huge shoes on the littlest figure in the middle. Sparklehorn sat beside the paper like a sparkly assistant.

Azzi stayed mostly quiet, just helping when asked, handing over markers, unscrewing lids but letting Ruby lead.

“Dis me,” Ruby announced proudly, pointing to the figure in the centre. “Wif magic shoes.”

“You definitely got magic shoes,” Azzi said, smoothing her curls.

“Dat Mama,” Ruby added, “and dat Paigey. She da tallest.”

Azzi chuckled. “Of course she is.”

Ruby drew a basketball in everyone’s hand, a big yellow sun in the corner, and what looked like a rainbow above Sparklehorn. Then she put the crayon down, stared at the page a second, and picked up a pink marker. Carefully, she wrote with assistance from Azzi of course: From Ruby. To Paigey.

Azzi pressed a hand to her chest, heart full, before reaching for the frame. “Okay, baby,” she said quietly, “let’s get it wrapped.”

They worked together in the warm afternoon light, Azzi cutting the wrapping paper while Ruby held the tape, her little fingers sticking it everywhere except the right places. Eventually, they got it done, and Ruby carefully placed a glittery unicorn sticker in the top corner, right above the bow.

“All done,” Ruby whispered, both hands pressed to the gift. “She gonna keep it forever.”

Azzi rested her chin against Ruby’s temple. “Yeah, baby. I think she will.”

Outside, the sun was dipping low, casting a golden haze across the kitchen. Azzi glanced at the clock, almost time for their nightly FaceTime. She stood, brushing glitter and crayon crumbs from Ruby’s lap.

“Let’s have dinner and clean up before we call Paigey, yeah?”

Ruby nodded and hopped off the chair, Sparklehorn tucked under one arm as she toddled off to the bathroom.

Azzi lingered a moment, brushing her fingers across the bow. She could already see Paige opening the gift, eyes wide, lips parted, that soft look she always had when Ruby surprised her. A look Azzi never got tired of earning.

She turned off the living room light, leaving the gift beside the sign, and followed Ruby’s voice echoing from down the hall.

Tomorrow would be a big day. But tonight still belonged to just them.

--------------------

Ruby was curled up under Azzi’s arm, cheeks still warm from the bath, curls fluffed into puffs and already starting to flatten where she leaned against her mother’s chest. She clutched Sparklehorn tight, her little thumb hooked in the ribbon around the unicorn’s neck as Azzi pulled up the FaceTime screen. As soon as Paige’s name popped up, Ruby whispered a dramatic, “Hurry, Mama!” like the whole night hinged on this moment. When Paige’s face appeared, glowing in the soft light of her dorm, Ruby lit up.

“PAIGEY!” she squealed, nearly launching out of Azzi’s lap. “Hi hi hi hi hi!”

Paige grinned wide. “Hey superstar! You look cosy. Is that Sparklehorn?”

“She got a bath too,” Ruby said seriously. “She had glitter on her eye.”

“That’s a serious injury,” Paige replied with mock concern. “Did she recover?”

“She brave,” Ruby nodded. “She ready for da game.”

Paige raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Big plans tomorrow?”

Ruby froze, eyes darting to Azzi.

“Roo,” Azzi warned lightly, fighting a smile.

Ruby slammed Sparklehorn into the screen as a distraction. “We drawed stuff!”

Paige narrowed her eyes. “You drew... something you can’t tell me about?”

“NO,” Ruby said immediately. “I mean yes. I mean... it’s a secwet.”

Azzi kissed the top of her head. “You’re really holding it down under pressure.”

Ruby yawned but tried to fight it, blinking hard. “I not tired. I gotta tell Paigey she gonna win.”

Paige’s voice dropped into something softer, sweeter. “You think I’m gonna play good?”

“You gonna play so good,” Ruby said through a sleepy smile. “Cuz I’m wishin’ it. All night.”

Paige’s smile hitched just a little. “Then I won’t miss a single shot.”

Ruby whispered something into Sparklehorn’s ear, then tucked the unicorn under her chin and sighed. “Night Paigey. I love you.”

“I love you too, Rubes. Sweet dreams.”

Azzi stood and gently carried Ruby into her room, settling her into bed with practiced ease. She stayed a minute longer than usual, brushing back curls and whispering something into her daughter’s ear that made Ruby smile even in the dark.

By the time Azzi slipped back into her own bed and called Paige again, she was already grinning.

“Okay,” Paige said the second the screen lit up. “What the hell are you hiding?”

Azzi raised an eyebrow, phone resting on her chest. “Wow. Not even a ‘hi?’”

“I knew something was up. That little traitor almost blew the whole thing.”

“She didn’t say anything,” Azzi said smugly.

“Yeah, because she got coached like an FBI informant.”

Azzi shrugged. “Can’t confirm or deny.”

Paige groaned, grabbing her pillow and yelling into it. “Azzi. I’m your girlfriend. You’re legally obligated to give me birthday intel.”

Azzi smirked. “Says who?”

“Says the Constitution. It’s emotional neglect.”

“You are so dramatic.”

“You love it.”

Azzi’s lips curved. “I really do.”

There was a pause where Paige stared at her, then slumped deeper into her sheets. “Fine. Whatever. Keep your glittery secrets. Just tell me one thing.”

Azzi tilted her head. “Depends.”

Paige narrowed her eyes. “Am I getting birthday sex or not?”

Azzi blinked, then bit her lip to keep from laughing. “Excuse me?”

“I’m serious,” Paige said, pouting now. “I’m waking up alone, which is already tragic. I’m not getting pancakes, or a kiss, or a suspicious lack of clothing. So the least I deserve is the promise of birthday sex.”

Azzi leaned her chin into her hand, amused. “So needy.”

“I’m touch-deprived.”

“You saw me at training.”

“That doesn’t count. You were wearing pants.”

Azzi laughed, eyes flicking toward her blanket. “Tragic.”

“You could fix it,” Paige said, voice slipping into something lower. “Like, right now. You could show me what you’re wearing.”

“Nope.”

“Please?” Paige whined. “Give me something. A hint. A strap. A collarbone. I’m not asking for full frontal, just, like... shoulders.”

Azzi sighed dramatically, then tugged the collar of her hoodie just far enough to reveal one bare shoulder, skin golden in the lamplight. “Happy?”

Paige blinked. “Yes. But also no. That’s worse. Now I’m suffering.”

“You wanted a taste,” Azzi said, dragging her fingers lightly down her throat, just to mess with her.

Paige looked like she was short-circuiting. “I hate you.”

“You don’t.”

“I do. You’re mean and hot and emotionally withholding and I’m gonna cry.”

Azzi smiled lazily. “Poor soon to be birthday girl.”

Paige curled tighter into her pillow. “You know what I pictured?”

“I’m afraid to ask.”

“Waking up tomorrow. You in my bed. On top of me. Nothing but your hair falling over my face. And then... slowly... birthday sex.”

Azzi blinked. “Wow. You’ve really scripted this.”

“I have storyboards.”

“You’re deranged.”

“I’m desperate.”

Azzi shook her head, her voice soft now. “You’re gonna be fine.”

“No I’m not,” Paige pouted. “You’re not here, you won’t tell me what’s happening, and I’m going to bed horny and alone. On my birthday eve.”

“Dramatic,” Azzi murmured.

“Deprived,” Paige corrected.

Azzi tucked her cheek against her pillow, still grinning. “You’ll get your birthday kiss eventually.”

“That better be a euphemism.”

Azzi laughed into the fabric. “Goodnight, Bueckers.”

“No. You can’t just log off after all that. You said eventually.”

“Sleep.”

“You said ‘eventually.’”

Azzi looked directly into the screen. “You’ll see me tomorrow.”

“Wait…what? What does that mean?”

“Sweet dreams, baby.”

“Azzi. Don’t—”

But the screen went black.

And Paige lay there, stunned, clutching her phone to her chest, already kicking herself for not setting an alarm even earlier—just in case.

--------------------

The first thing Paige noticed wasn’t the sun, or the comfort of her sheets, or even the dull ache in her calves from yesterday’s drills. It was a scent. Familiar, warm, subtle. Vanilla and citrus — shampoo and something sweeter, something personal. Something that didn’t belong in her dorm.

The second thing she noticed was the stillness in the room. That kind of quiet that wasn’t empty, but full. Weighted. Alive.

And that’s when she opened her eyes.

Azzi was sitting on the edge of her bed. Cross-legged, barefoot, calm as anything. One of Paige’s old UConn sweatshirts hung off her frame, oversized, worn to softness, the sleeves pushed up to her elbows. Her curls were scooped into a lazy bun, messy and perfect, wisps framing her cheekbones like she’d just woken up from the same dream Paige always had when she was alone. She held a steaming coffee cup in both hands, legs tucked neatly beneath her, her expression impossibly soft.

Paige blinked, once. Then again, slower.

Azzi smiled, a small, knowing curl at the corner of her mouth. “Happy birthday, baby.”

Before Paige could form a single word, Azzi leaned in and kissed her.

It wasn’t a quick kiss. It wasn’t casual. It was full, warm, and slow. A kiss that knew it had all the time in the world. One kiss melted into another, lips brushing, then pressing, then staying. Azzi’s hand came up to cradle Paige’s cheek, her thumb brushing the skin beneath her eye, and she kissed her again. And again. Like she’d been waiting to do this for hours. Like she’d missed her.

Paige melted immediately. She didn’t even pretend to resist.

Azzi pulled back just enough to smile against her mouth. “God, you’re cute when you’re confused.”

Paige groaned and flopped back against the pillow, one hand dragging down her face. “What is happening. I’m either dreaming, hallucinating, or I actually died.”

Azzi laughed, low and smug, and set the coffee down on the nightstand. “You died via drool, most likely. You had a little puddle situation going on.”

“No,” Paige whispered, already pulling the blanket over her face.

“Yup.”

“Why would you say that on my birthday?”

“Because it’s adorable.”

Paige peeked out from the doona, just her eyes visible. “You’re evil.”

Azzi just shrugged and leaned forward to kiss her again, right in the centre of her forehead this time. “And yet, here I am. Waking you up on your birthday with coffee, a kiss, and my hot ass in your sweatshirt.”

“You are so smug.”

“You’re so in love with me.”

Paige didn’t argue. Couldn’t. Not when Azzi was right here, not when her whole body was still humming from that kiss, not when her room smelled like her and the coffee was still warm and Azzi was looking at her like she was her favourite part of the whole damn year.

“I thought you said I’d see you at training,” Paige said eventually, sitting up slowly, one hand propping her against the headboard.

“I lied,” Azzi said, completely unrepentant. “I wanted to see you first.”

Paige’s heart squeezed. It was such a small thing, those words, but they landed big. Bigger than she could’ve anticipated. Azzi didn’t just want to be part of her birthday. She wanted to be the first part. The beginning. The thing Paige woke up to.

She swallowed. “You broke into my dorm.”

“You left your door unlocked.”

“That’s not an invitation.”

“For me, it is.”

Paige stared at her for a long moment, letting it settle in. This wasn’t a dream. Azzi was really here. In her bed. On her birthday. Wearing her sweatshirt like it was the most natural thing in the world.

“You’re ridiculous,” she muttered.

Azzi smirked. “Takes one to date one.”

The room felt warmer than usual. Or maybe it was just Paige, the heat crawling up her neck, the ring of sleep still blurring the edges of her thoughts. She couldn’t stop looking at her. Azzi’s legs were tucked beneath her, tan skin catching a sliver of sunlight through the blinds. She looked so relaxed, so unbothered, like this was just… what they did.

Paige wasn’t used to things feeling easy. But this? This was easy. This was real.

Azzi shifted, reaching into her bag, and pulled out a small box. Light blue, tied with a clean white ribbon. She held it out wordlessly.

Paige blinked at it. “You brought me a gift?”

“There’s a note inside. Read that first.”

Paige took it with both hands, something delicate catching in her throat. She found the folded card tucked beneath the ribbon, slightly creased like Azzi had unfolded and refolded it a few times. Her fingers brushed over the handwriting before she even opened it. She already knew what it would look like, Azzi’s lowercase letters, a little too careful, soft at the edges.

She read it once, quickly. Then again, slower.

Paigey,

You once told me you’d never felt more seen than when you were with me. What I don’t think you realised is that being with you helped me start seeing myself too. Not as someone who has to hold everything together, or protect every corner of her life, or always be two steps ahead — but as someone who’s allowed to love. Who’s allowed to want. Who’s allowed to be soft.

You loved Ruby before you even realised what that meant. You loved me before I was brave enough to say it out loud. And you’ve never asked for more than we could give — you just waited. And stayed. And now we’re here. This is from both of us. A little promise. That whatever this becomes, wherever we go… you’re already part of our world. You always have been.

Happy 20th. I love you.

– Azzi

Paige didn’t say anything. She just kept staring at the paper. Her eyes started to sting and she blinked fast, pressing her lips together. Her fingers brushed the crease in the page once, then twice.

Azzi was still watching her. Not pushing, not filling the silence. Just waiting.

Paige looked up. “You wrote this?”

Azzi smiled, but it was softer now. “Yeah.”

“I don’t know what to—”

“You don’t have to say anything.”

Paige opened the box.

Inside was a ring.

Silver. Smooth. Unadorned. The kind of simple that meant more than anything flashy ever could. She lifted it carefully, already feeling the weight of it in her chest.

Engraved on the inside: P. R. A.

Her fingers trembled.

Azzi’s voice was quiet. “It’s not a proposal.”

Paige laughed softly, but it cracked in the middle. “You sure? Because it kinda feels like one.”

“It’s just a promise. From me. From Ruby. That you’re not just in this… you’re part of it.”

Paige stared at the ring for a few more seconds. Then slid it onto her right hand, fourth finger. It fit like it had always been meant to be there.

“You’re gonna ruin me,” she whispered.

Azzi leaned forward and kissed her again. This time slower, longer, her hands curling around Paige’s jaw like she didn’t want her to go anywhere. Paige pulled her into her lap, the box falling to the floor somewhere near the edge of the bed, forgotten. She could feel Azzi’s heart beating against hers, their mouths moving in lazy rhythm, like this was something they’d done a hundred times before and were finally letting themselves enjoy it.

“I want you,” Paige murmured, kissing along her jaw, her voice low and reverent. “Right now. For breakfast.”

Azzi laughed, breathless, eyes fluttering as Paige’s lips brushed her collarbone. “You’re out of control.”

“It’s my birthday.”

“I’m aware.”

“I woke up twenty. And horny. I feel like I should be rewarded.”

Azzi groaned as Paige pushed her back against the pillows. “We have training.”

“We have forty-three minutes.”

“Paige.”

“Azzi.”

Azzi gripped the front of her shirt like she was trying to decide if she wanted to kiss her again or shove her away. Her breath was shallow, eyes dark. “You’re seriously trying to convince me to have birthday sex in your twin bed with fifteen minutes of sleep and no pants?”

Paige leaned in. “You said it like it’s a bad thing.”

Azzi buried her face in her hands. “You’re a disaster.”

Paige grinned and kissed her neck again. “I’m your disaster.”

Azzi didn’t respond right away. Just let Paige kiss her again. And again. Her hands slid into the sweatshirt, fingers mapping familiar skin.

“I love you,” Paige whispered against her mouth. “And I really, really want you.”

Azzi kissed her back, almost hard this time, her fingers curling into the back of Paige’s neck. For a second, Paige thought she’d won.

Then Azzi pulled away.

“Tonight,” she said, breathless, lips swollen. “After the game. After we win. Then you can do whatever you want.”

Paige whined, flopping onto her back like a toddler denied dessert.

“You’re so mean.”

Azzi sat up, still smiling, still pink in the cheeks. “You’re gonna live.”

Paige rolled over and buried her face in the pillow. “Barely.”

“Thirty points and I’ll let you pick the position.”

Paige peeked up. “Forty and you let me pick two.”

Azzi raised an eyebrow. “Now you’re negotiating?”

“I’m twenty now. I make deals.”

Azzi shook her head and started braiding her curls. Paige watched her from the bed, eyes trailing down the smooth line of her back, the dip of her waist, the familiar curve of her hips. God, she was so in love with her it made her chest ache.

She stared at the ring again, catching the light.

This was real. This was hers. This was what it felt like to be chosen.

When they finally left the dorm, Paige was freshly showered, hair damp, her shooting sleeve tugged into place. Azzi walked beside her, fingers brushing every few steps. Not quite holding hands. But close. Paige looked down at her ring and smiled.

Twenty had never felt like a finish line. But right now? It felt like a beginning.

--------------------

The locker room was already buzzing by the time they stepped inside, music playing low from someone’s speaker, sneakers squeaking against tile, the familiar chorus of Velcro straps and warm-up chatter echoing off the walls. Paige tossed her duffel onto the bench near her usual corner, nodding absently at Nika and KK, who were mid-argument about whether her birthday granted her immunity from rookie pranks.

Azzi moved a little slower, unbothered as always, peeling off her warm-up jacket and adjusting the neat line of her two power braids, the same ones she’d woven carefully that morning in Paige’s mirror, each braid tight and deliberate like a quiet ritual. Paige watched her from across the room, still wearing the faintest smile, heart full in a way that felt slightly uncontainable.

The morning hadn’t left her system. The kiss. The ring. The way Azzi had whispered “Happy birthday, baby” like it was sacred. Her hand drifted to her right ring finger, brushing it once. The weight grounded her. She wanted to kiss her again. Right now. Not the teasing kind. Not the promise kind. A kiss for luck. For everything.

She glanced around. Coaches weren’t in yet. Everyone was half-distracted.

Paige stood up, walked over like she wasn’t thinking about it too much, and tapped Azzi’s wrist just as she was digging through her bag. “Hey. Come here for a sec.”

Azzi arched a brow. “You look suspicious.”

“I’m not,” Paige said quickly, glancing toward the empty back room near the training table. “I just… need something.”

Azzi followed, clearly amused, letting Paige lead her into the little tucked-away corner of the locker area where no one would hear them unless they were trying. Paige turned, already pressing Azzi lightly against the wall, palms braced beside her.

Azzi tilted her head. “Should I be nervous?”

“No,” Paige murmured, stepping in close, “but I should be.”

“Oh?”

“I can’t stop thinking about this morning.”

Azzi smiled, smug and knowing. “The drool?”

Paige narrowed her eyes. “You’re lucky I’m in love with you.”

“Extremely.”

Paige leaned in, voice low. “I need my good luck kiss.”

Azzi’s gaze dropped to her mouth. “You planning on dropping thirty?”

“At least.”

Azzi tugged her gently by the waistband of her shorts. “Then you better make this one count.”

Paige didn’t need another invitation. She kissed her, warm, slow, with just enough pressure to make Azzi sigh into her mouth. She kissed her like it would carry her through every shot, every screen, every sprint. Azzi kissed her back just as fully, one hand curled at the back of her neck, the other resting against her chest, steady, sure, grounding.

When they pulled apart, Paige didn’t move far. Their noses brushed. Their foreheads touched.

“Good luck, baby,” Azzi whispered.

Paige’s voice was quiet. “You give the best pep talks.”

Azzi grinned, fingers brushing the ring on Paige’s hand.

Then she kissed her again — quick, but deliberate. “We’re winning this, Go be a problem.”

“I always am.”

They stepped back into the locker room just as the coaches entered and the volume picked up. Paige slipped back to her bench, fingers brushing the edge of her wrist tape. She slid the ring off, and tucked it carefully into her warm up jacket.

--------------------

The tunnel buzzed with energy, that pre-game electricity pulsing off the walls like a heartbeat waiting to explode. Sneakers squeaked. Someone behind her cracked their neck twice. KK was humming under her breath. Nika dribbled softly, rhythmically, like her palms were already syncing with the pace of the court.

Paige stood near the front of the line, one hand adjusting the strap on her sleeve, the other flexing unconsciously at her side. The sound of the crowd bled through, loud, high, familiar. Not overwhelming. Not anymore. Just... present. Like music under her skin.

She felt ready. She’d felt ready the second she left her dorm that morning. The ring Azzi had given her was tucked safely into a zipped pocket inside her warm-ups, close enough to feel, but hidden away like a secret. Her fingers brushed the fabric now, just once, grounding herself with the memory of Azzi’s voice—Good luck, baby—and the heat of her mouth on hers. She hadn’t stopped smiling since.

Behind her, Azzi stood still, shoulder brushing hers. Paige didn’t turn, but she could feel her. The heat. The steadiness. That quiet, unshakeable calm Azzi always carried like armour.

The lights dimmed. The announcer’s voice boomed across the court, muffled and crackling with anticipation. Names started rolling—the starting five. Cheers swelled and broke like waves with every intro. Paige bounced lightly in place, cracking her knuckles, her nerves a low hum beneath her ribs.

And then… “Starting at guard… number 5… Paige Bueckers!”

The crowd roared. The music surged. And Paige stepped out into the light.

It hit her instantly, the sound, the colour, the temperature shift from the tunnel to the open floor. Flashing lights. Glittering signs. Faces rising out of the stands like a living tide. She jogged out, tapped fists with the first hand offered, her eyes sweeping the rows of fans automatically.

And then she heard it.

“PAIGEY!”

High-pitched. Familiar. Clear as a bell cutting through all the noise.

Her head snapped toward the sound before her brain even registered it.

And there she was.

Six rows up, standing on the bench between Azzi’s parents like the smallest, loudest lighthouse in a sea of UConn blue. Ruby. Hair in puffs. Sneakers blinking with every hop. A jersey slightly oversized swallowing her frame, number 5 stretched across her chest in bright white letters.

“BUECKERS.”

And in her tiny hands, a massive glitter-covered poster, waving wildly in the air.

GO PAIGEY!

With sparkles.

And a basketball.

And a unicorn dunking over a rainbow.

Paige stopped. Mid-jog. Her mouth opened slightly. Her heartbeat stuttered.

She had imagined this. Kind of. She’d hoped. But nothing…nothing… could have prepared her for the way it hit. The way the crowd blurred out, the lights dimmed at the edges, and all she could see was a little girl in her jersey yelling her name like it was magic. Like she was the sun.

Ruby grinned so hard her cheeks looked like they might burst. She bounced and pointed, slapping Tim’s arm and shouting, “She saw me! SHE SEE ME!” The poster nearly whacked Katie in the face.

Paige stood frozen, just for a second too long. Then her eyes slid sideways.

Azzi was watching her.

Still behind her, still waiting to jog out, but her eyes were fixed on Paige, calm, full, a little smug.

Paige didn’t say anything. She couldn’t.

But the look she gave Azzi was everything. Disbelief. Gratitude. Wonder. She shook her head once, lips parted, heart visibly catching in her throat.

Azzi lifted her chin slightly, just enough to be smug without making it a joke.

Happy birthday, it said.

Then Paige looked back at Ruby, still bouncing, still yelling, still waving that glittery sign like her life depended on it.

And without thinking, without planning, Paige brought her fingers to her lips and blew a kiss toward the stands.

Ruby squealed like she’d won the lottery. “SHE DID IT! SHE BLOWED ME A KISS!”

Katie laughed. Tim clapped. Ruby nearly fell off the bench in excitement, caught only by Sparklehorn tucked in the crook of her arm.

Paige stepped fully onto the court now, her feet lighter than before. Her shoulders looser. Her whole body humming with something warm and electric that went deeper than adrenaline. She jogged to the baseline, slapped hands with Nika and KK, and let the sounds of the arena crash back into her.

She felt huge. Light. Anchored and untouchable all at once.

When the ref blew the whistle and the ball was tossed into the air, she didn’t hesitate.

She rose with it.

And didn’t look back.

--------------------

The ball left Paige’s hands on a perfect arc, spun once, and dropped clean through the net without grazing the rim.

The crowd roared. Another three.

She didn’t smile, she didn’t need to. She just turned, jogging backward with that familiar bounce in her step, a hand raised in signal before sliding back into defensive stance.

She was dialled in.

More than that — she was free.

Everything that usually clung to her before a game, the pressure, the expectations, the quiet static of perfectionism was gone. Today wasn’t about proving anything to the world.

Today was hers.

Twenty years old. A ring tucked into her warm-up jacket. A kiss still lingering on her mouth. Azzi in her corner. Ruby in her jersey. She didn’t need fuel.

She was the fire.

The scoreboard climbed — 11, 19, 26. She drove through contact with a shoulder dipped and banked it in. Sank two free throws. Pulled up from deep, right in someone’s face, like it didn’t matter.

Because it didn’t.

The crowd kept getting louder, but it only fed her rhythm.

In transition, Nika swung a behind-the-back pass right into Paige’s hands at the wing. No hesitation. She rose and drilled it.

Thirty-three.

The other team called timeout.

Paige jogged to the bench, chest heaving, sweat slicking her spine, but she didn’t feel tired. She barely sat. Azzi passed her a towel and a Gatorade without a word, but the look they exchanged was loud.

Azzi smirked. Paige raised an eyebrow.

“Thirty-three already?” Azzi asked under her breath.

“Keep watching.”

She was back in within minutes. Another drive. Another foul. Another clean shot from the elbow.

Thirty-seven.

And then, with under four minutes left in the fourth, it happened again.

She was at the line for her second free throw when she heard it — clear, certain, cutting through the arena noise like a song she already knew by heart.

“PAIGEY!”

Her eyes flicked up, instinctively drawn.

Ruby stood high on the bench again, still waving that sparkly sign like it was her full-time job, curls bouncing with every hop. The jersey hung off her tiny shoulders, and Sparklehorn was clutched under one arm, battle-worn but still in uniform.

Paige let the smallest smile pull at the edge of her mouth. She took the ball, bounced it once, twice, then sank the shot like it owed her something.

Forty points.

On the way back down the court, she passed Azzi just behind the three-point line. The ball was still being inbounded. Everyone else was still shifting.

But Paige caught her eye and murmured as she passed:

“Forty. One more and I get to pick two positions.”

Azzi blinked. Just once. Her mouth twitched.

“Are you keeping count?”

“Are you kidding?” Paige murmured. “I’ve been counting since breakfast.”

Azzi choked on a laugh and had to physically turn away, shaking her head like she was trying not to smile too hard.

Then Paige stole a pass, ran it back, and laid it in smooth and fast.

Forty-two.

The crowd erupted.

Timeout. Again.

She didn’t even slow down, just jogged back toward the bench, tossing her headband to the floor and holding up two fingers in Azzi’s direction like she was calling a play.

Azzi, still standing, caught her eyes across the floor and mouthed, Unreal.

Paige grinned and shot back: You’re so screwed.

Azzi folded her arms, trying and failing to look unimpressed.

--------------------

The final buzzer cracked through the arena like a lightning bolt not abrupt, not jarring, but full. Like a drumbeat landing perfectly at the end of a song. The scoreboard read 89–62. The crowd exploded. Coaches clapped. Someone tossed confetti from the student section that looked suspiciously like it came from a birthday party store.

Paige stood just off centre court, hands on her hips, chest rising and falling in sharp, satisfied bursts. Her jersey clung to her back. Her braid was half unravelled at the edges.

Forty-two points.

She didn’t feel it in her legs yet, that would come later. Right now, all she felt was light. The kind of light that came from giving every single part of yourself to something and being met with more.

She turned toward the bench, toward Azzi, already grinning. But then she heard it.

“PAIGEEEEEYYYY!”

She didn’t even have to look.

Ruby.

Sprinting, like actually sprinting across the court in a blur of curls and light-up sneakers, her little arms pumping, Sparklehorn trailing from one hand like a stuffed missile. Security barely twitched. They already knew. Tim had stood, but Katie just laughed and waved her on. Ruby ducked past a player, hurdled a Gatorade bottle, and launched herself into Paige like a heat-seeking hug.

Paige caught her on instinct, arms snapping around her mid-run, both of them staggering back a step from the momentum. Ruby’s arms looped tight around her neck, her legs around Paige’s waist. She was panting, cheeks flushed pink, voice breathless but bright.

“YOU DID IT! YOU SHOOTED ALL THE BASKETS!”

Paige laughed, her chest still heaving. “Hey, Roo.”

“You got ALL the points! I sawed it! I watcheded every one!”

“You were my lucky charm.”

Ruby pulled back just enough to look at her, one hand clutching Paige’s jaw, serious. “I wore your name.”

Paige froze. Everything around her, the cheers, the lights, the thump of a bass-heavy victory song from the sound system dulled just slightly. Her throat went tight in the best way. She looked down at the jersey swallowing Ruby’s frame, number 5 stretched across the chest, BUECKERS stamped proudly across the back like it belonged to all of them.

She swallowed. “Yeah, you did.”

“I telled everybody.”

“I bet you did.”

“You blowed me a kiss,” Ruby whispered, quieter now, pressing her forehead to Paige’s. “It worked. You winned.”

Paige hugged her tighter, eyes glassy. “Best birthday present ever.”

“Happy birthday, Paigey,” Ruby whispered back, sweet and sleepy-soft like she’d saved it for now.

Behind them, Azzi was walking across the court, her expression unreadable but her eyes unmistakably full. She reached them slowly, like she was giving Paige space to just feel it. To hold it. To have it.

Ruby spotted her and gasped. “MAMA! PAIGEY GOT FORTY AND TWO!”

Azzi blinked. “She did?”

“She saided she gonna pick TWO positions!”

Azzi’s breath caught. Her eyes slid to Paige, who smirked over Ruby’s shoulder like she’d just sealed the deal of the century. Azzi stepped in close, brushing a hand along Paige’s arm, the contact instinctive. And then, without thinking, without remembering the cameras, the crowd, the chaos around them, she leaned in and kissed Paige on the cheek.

It was soft. Full of heat and pride and something deeply unspoken. A reflex. An anchor. A promise. Paige turned slightly into it like it was the most natural thing in the world.

“You really put up forty-two?” Azzi asked, voice low, as if they weren’t standing in the middle of the court surrounded by thousands.

“Counted every single one,” Paige said, flushed and smug. “You’re in trouble.”

Azzi blinked, still half-reeling from her own slip, then recovered with a smirk. “I’ll consider it a win.”

The rest of the team had started to gather, someone looping an arm around Paige’s shoulders, another shouting her stat line in exaggerated disbelief. Ruby was still babbling excitedly, telling KK how she made the sign “with her whole body,” and that Sparklehorn helped with the rainbow.

But Paige? Paige just stood there, one arm around Azzi, the other still wrapped around Ruby. Her jersey soaked. Her legs aching. Her heart too full to contain it.

She’d scored forty-two.

She’d kissed the girl she loved before tip-off.

And the tiny girl wearing her name had sprinted across the court like she was her whole world.

She didn’t say it out loud.

She didn’t need to.

Because this — this right here — was everything.

--------------------

The locker room was loud in that post-win kind of way, echoes of laughter, the hiss of showers running, sneakers being kicked off, someone blasting an old Rihanna track from their phone like it was 2013. It smelled like sweat, floor polish, and faintly like cupcakes from whatever box Nika had stashed near her locker with a note that read ‘Don’t Touch, Especially You KK.’

Paige sat at her locker, half-draped in a towel, sports bra clinging to her ribs, still catching her breath. Her legs were dead. Her shoulders burned. Her calves ached. But her chest… her chest still felt light. Floating. Like the last two hours had been a dream she hadn’t fully woken up from yet.

The ring sat back on her finger. She’d pulled it out of her jacket the second she hit the locker room, unzipped the same small pocket where it had stayed tucked away the whole game, safe, close, but not on her. She slid it on before her jersey was even all the way off. She twisted it now, absently, her thumb brushing the inside engraving as her thoughts slowed enough to catch up with her body.

Azzi dropped down beside her with that quiet calm she always carried after games, one knee drawn up, sweat still glistening along her collarbone, her braids still neat. Paige looked sideways at her and smiled without meaning to.

Azzi bumped their knees together. “How’s it feel?”

“Like I could sleep for three days and then run it all back.”

Azzi leaned back, resting her elbow across the bench behind Paige. “Forty-two.”

Paige arched a brow. “You counting?”

“I’m aware of when I owe someone two positions.”

Paige turned her head, biting back a grin. “Oh, I will be cashing that in.”

Azzi blinked, the realisation sinking in a beat too late. “You’re seriously saying that in front of my daughter?”

Paige’s grin only widened. “She’s not here. You are. And I have the stat sheet to prove it.”

Azzi groaned, head falling back against the locker. “You’re unbelievable.”

“I’m efficient.”

“You’re dangerous.”

Paige reached up and tapped the ring gently with her knuckle. “I had this in my jacket pocket the whole game. Didn’t wear it. But it was there. I kept touching the zipper during timeouts. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so... like I belonged out there.”

Azzi looked at her then, really looked, her expression softening. “You always belonged.”

“I think today I believed it.”

There was a pause, not heavy, just full. Azzi’s fingers brushed lightly along the back of Paige’s neck, and Paige tilted into the touch without thinking. It wasn’t a kiss, but it felt like one.

Paige murmured, “You forgot about the cameras.”

Azzi blinked. “What?”

“That kiss. On the court. You didn’t hesitate.”

Azzi’s laugh was soft, nearly soundless. “Didn’t even realise until afterward.”

“I liked it.”

Azzi smiled and bumped her shoulder. “Good. You earned it.”

A few lockers down, Nika was mock-singing into a hairbrush while KK tried to remix her own stat line into a freestyle. Someone was already heating up a burrito in the microwave that smelled violently fake. Paige barely noticed. Her whole focus stayed on Azzi, on the warmth of her thigh against hers, the curve of her wrist draped lazily across the bench behind her shoulders, the quiet steadiness she always brought to these moments.

Azzi stood, stretched, then bent slightly to kiss the top of Paige’s head before murmuring, “Get dressed, Bueckers. We’ve got plans.”

Paige glanced up, squinting suspiciously. “What kind of plans?”

Azzi just smirked. “The kind you’ll like.”

“Two positions kind?”

Azzi didn’t answer, just walked away, braid swinging, arms crossed smugly like she hadn’t just completely wrecked Paige without laying a hand on her.

Paige exhaled, grinning to herself as she pulled on her hoodie. Her body was spent. Her voice was wrecked. Her limbs ached in every direction.

But her heart?

It felt like home.

--------------------

The restaurant was tucked in a quiet corner of downtown, half-hidden behind a florist and a dry cleaner, the kind of place you only knew if someone brought you. Inside, it was warm and softly lit—dark wood booths, flickering tea lights, a chalkboard menu on the wall with a crooked smiley face drawn beside the specials. It smelled like roasted garlic, butter, and fresh basil. Paige exhaled the moment they walked in. Not because she was tired, even though she was, but because it felt easy.

Tim had made the reservation under “Fudd, party of five.” Katie had handled the seating. Ruby immediately claimed the spot between Paige and Azzi, swinging her legs under the table and talking nonstop about “how Sparklehorn was da loudest cheerer in da whole game.”

Paige was still buzzing. Not from adrenaline anymore, but from something deeper, something steadier. Azzi sat close beside her, the same sweatshirt Paige had seen her in that morning now slung over her shoulders, her braids pulled back into a loose bun. Tim poured waters. Katie asked about sauce preferences like they hadn’t just watched Paige drop forty-two points. It was surreal. And it was perfect.

Ruby waved down the server with the confidence of a four-star general. “We need mac and cheese. And garlic bread. And maybe sprinkles?”

Paige leaned in, grinning. “You sure you don’t want the calamari?”

Ruby blinked. “What’s a calamarry?”

Azzi laughed into her napkin. Katie ordered two pizzas and a side of penne for the table. When the bread arrived, Ruby immediately broke off the end of a garlic knot and offered it to Paige like it was ceremonial. “For da winner.”

Paige bowed her head in mock reverence. “I’m honoured.”

The conversation drifted, about the game, about the glitter that was still in Ruby’s ear from the poster, about how Azzi had warned her parents earlier that morning she was leaving early to surprise Paige and that yes, the ring was in her bag and no, they shouldn’t ask if it was too much. Tim raised his glass, soda, by Ruby’s decree and said, “To the birthday girl. To a career high. And to a very, very glittery sign.” Everyone clinked. Ruby spilled a little. Paige smiled so hard her cheeks ached.

And then, just as the food was arriving, Azzi reached into her bag and pulled out a flat, carefully wrapped object, paper pink at the corners, tied with a crooked ribbon. She set it in front of Ruby with a look that said: your turn.

Ruby’s eyes widened like she’d forgotten, then gasped and pushed the gift toward Paige. “It’s for YOU! Open it now! Now now now!”

Paige laughed and peeled back the paper. Inside was a wooden frame, simple, hand-painted pink around the edges, slightly smudged with glitter in the corners. And behind the glass, a crayon drawing done in bold, chaotic colour. Three stick figures stood in the centre: one with long legs and wild yellow hair labelled Paigey, one with curls and huge sneakers labelled Me, and one with a basketball and what looked like superhero lashes labelled Mama. Sparklehorn floated in the sky with a rainbow behind her. And at the bottom, in big, careful letters, it read: To: Paigey. From: Ruby.

Paige didn’t say anything at first. She just stared at it, her hand flat on the table, the other pressed briefly to her mouth. Her chest tightened, throat locking around something too big for words. It wasn’t the drawing… it was what it meant. What it said without needing to. That she was loved. That she was chosen. That she was theirs. Her vision blurred. She blinked once, then again, trying to clear it, but the tears spilled anyway, soft and quick and totally uninvited.

Ruby leaned in. “You like it?”

Paige nodded, trying to breathe around the lump in her throat. “I love it.”

“I drawed it with all my colours,” Ruby whispered. “And a pink heart. ’Cause I love you big.”

Paige reached for her and pulled her into her lap in one smooth motion. “You are the best teammate I’ve ever had.”

Ruby curled against her like it was instinct. “Mama said you gonna keep it forever.”

“I’m gonna frame it again and hang it on the ceiling.”

Azzi smiled into her glass. Katie wiped her eyes. Tim cleared his throat like something spicy had hit him.

Dinner went on—plates passed back and forth, Ruby insisting everyone rank their favourite sauces, Tim declaring “this meatball is elite,” Katie sneaking a second slice of pizza to Ruby when she thought no one was looking. Under the table, Azzi’s fingers laced with Paige’s and stayed there, unmoving, like a quiet promise.

At one point, Paige leaned into her shoulder and whispered, “You planned everything, didn’t you?”

Azzi didn’t answer. Just squeezed her hand.

And just when Paige thought the night couldn’t feel more complete, the lights dimmed slightly. The waiter returned, grinning, holding a small cake with pink frosting and flickering candles. Piped across the top, in loopy purple icing, it read: Happy Birthday, Paigey. A single sparkler flickered beside the candles like a little firework just for her.

Before she could say anything, the Fudds broke into song, loud, imperfect, and entirely too charming. Ruby was the loudest, clapping off-beat, singing every word like it was the chorus to her favourite song. Tim sang harmony badly. Katie elbowed him. Azzi didn’t even hesitate.

Paige just sat there, cheeks flushed, laughter caught behind her teeth, watching them sing to her like they’d done it a hundred times before. Like she’d always belonged at this table. At the end, just as the sparkler fizzled out, Azzi leaned in and kissed her—quick, soft, a little bashful, but full of something that made Paige’s stomach flip.

She didn’t even care who saw it.

Paige looked around the table. Her found family. Her girl. Her birthday cake. Her little teammate still licking frosting off her finger like it was sacred.

She didn’t make a wish when she blew out the candles. She didn’t have to.

--------------------

The dorm door clicked shut behind them, muffling the hum of the hallway and the last traces of dinner chatter from earlier. Paige stretched her arms overhead as she dropped her keys on the desk, her shoulders cracking from the day—game, adrenaline, cake, emotions. She tugged her hoodie off and tossed it onto the back of her chair, already stepping out of her sneakers. Her hoodie clung to her back, the cross at her collar catching the low dorm light. She reached for a clean oversized black tee and tugged it on without much thought, the fabric hanging loose around her shoulders. Yellow cargo pants followed—baggy, low-slung, casual in that deliberate way that somehow made her feel hotter than any dress ever could.

Azzi was still in the bathroom, door cracked open slightly, steam drifting faintly into the room. Paige ran a hand through her hair, glanced in the mirror, smirked at her reflection. The faint outline of the chain around her neck, the fit of her pants, the calm buzz under her skin, it was all working. She tugged once on the shirt’s hem, then turned to grab her phone.

Then the bathroom door opened.

Paige didn’t turn at first. She felt it before she saw it, something shifted in the air like static, heat, gravity. And then Azzi stepped into view.

Her dress was black. Tight. The fabric hugged every curve like it had been sewn directly onto her body, stopping just shy of indecent, just enough to keep breathing legal. Her shoulders were bare. Her curls were down, falling soft around her collarbones, and her lip gloss shimmered faintly under the dorm light as she stepped in, completely unbothered.

Paige’s mouth opened, but nothing came out.

Azzi gave her a once-over, slow and obvious. “You’re really committing to the cargos.”

Paige swallowed, then recovered… barely. “They’ve never betrayed me.”

Azzi stepped closer. “You’re lucky you’re cute.”

“You’re lucky I haven’t thrown you on this bed yet.”

Azzi’s eyes dropped to her hand. Her voice softened. “You’re still wearing it.”

Paige glanced down instinctively. The silver ring sat snug on her finger, right where it belonged. She hadn’t even noticed she’d left it on. Her chest went a little warm.

“Yeah,” she said, suddenly quieter. “Of course I am.”

Azzi’s gaze lingered there a second longer, then lifted to meet her eyes. “Looks good on you.”

Paige stepped forward, close enough that her breath touched Azzi’s jaw. “You look like you’re trying to ruin me.”

“I look like your problem.”

“You’ve always been my problem.”

Azzi tilted her head, a slow, satisfied smile curling at her lips. “You’re really gonna wear that outfit and talk to me like you’ve got self-control?”

“I’ve got none.”

“Then don’t pretend.”

Paige didn’t.

She reached out, grabbed Azzi by the hips, and pulled her in with one fluid motion, their bodies flush in the quiet hum of the dorm. She kissed her like she meant it, slow, low-pressure, but deep enough to stop the clock. Azzi exhaled softly against her mouth, hands slipping beneath the hem of Paige’s shirt, warm fingers dragging lightly along her sides. The kiss lingered, stretched, deepened. Paige lost herself in it, in the rhythm, the familiarity, the weight of everything they weren’t saying.

When they finally parted, Paige didn’t step back.

“You’re not gonna make it ten minutes at Ted’s,” she muttered, eyes still half-lidded.

“You think I wore this to make it easy?”

“You wore this to kill me.”

Azzi’s lips brushed her jaw. “You’ll die happy.”

Paige leaned her forehead against Azzi’s for a second, then sighed and grabbed her phone off the desk. “Come on. Let’s go let the team embarrass themselves.”

Azzi touched her lip gloss up in the mirror like they hadn’t just made out against a dresser. “You’re gonna spend the whole night staring at me.”

“You say that like it’s a threat.”

She didn’t answer. Just smirked, grabbed her bag, and walked toward the door with that slow, hip-swaying stride that Paige absolutely could not look away from.

By the time they stepped out into the night, Paige already knew this birthday wasn’t over.

Not even close.

--------------------

Ted’s was alive in that too-loud, too-hot, too-crowded kind of way that always made it feel like the centre of the universe. Bass thumped through the floor, the air thick with body heat and cheap liquor. The ceiling lights pulsed low and dirty—purple strobes and neon reds sweeping over a sea of sweat-slicked skin and glitter.

Paige barely had time to scan the room before Nika’s voice cut through the chaos.

“THE BIRTHDAY BUECKERS HAS ARRIVED!”

Paige blinked, slightly stunned. Nika was standing on a bench, arm extended toward her like she was Moses parting a sea of college kids.

“Someone stop her,” Azzi muttered under her breath, but Paige just laughed, letting herself be pulled deeper into the haze of lights and sound. The team had claimed the back corner, two sticky tables, a semicircle of stolen stools, and half a bottle of tequila already on the way out.

KK was doing a shot with one eye closed, arguing loudly with Amari about who would win in a no-dribble one-on-one. Ines was crouched beneath the table trying to fix her heel. Caroline was handing out cherry sours like they were candy, and Aaliyah was already two margaritas in and swaying to the beat from her seat. Not everyone on the team drank, but those who did? Fully committed.

Paige slid into the booth. Azzi followed, leg pressed against hers immediately. Warm, smooth skin. Paige was already sweating from the heat inside the bar, but Azzi’s dress didn’t help. Tight black, low back, body sculpted by divine intervention. It had taken every ounce of willpower to leave the dorm room.

This? This was going to kill her.

A fresh round of shots hit the table.

“To twenty!” Nika shouted.

“To Paige!” Caroline yelled louder.

“To her scoring forty-two and still managing to look hot in yellow pants,” Ines added with a grin.

Paige raised her glass. “To the woman who owes me two positions.”

Azzi’s head snapped toward her. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me.”

“Babe.”

Paige grinned. “Hey you made the deal, remember?”

Azzi narrowed her eyes. “You’re not gonna make it to midnight.”

“Oh, I’m making it,” Paige said, downing her shot and grimacing. “But I’m collecting. Don’t test me.”

The music surged. Someone behind them shouted something about a dance circle. And then, like gravity was pulling her, Azzi stood.

“Come on,” she said.

“I’m not ready.”

Azzi held out her hand. “You wore the pants. You’re ready.”

Paige groaned dramatically but followed her, letting herself be led into the crowd. The floor was a crush of bodies, flashing lights, and pulsing heat. Azzi turned, eyes already half-lidded, the corner of her mouth curving into something that made Paige’s knees feel like overcooked pasta.

Azzi moved slowly at first, just a sway of her hips, nothing overt. But Paige knew her. She knew the deliberate shift of her weight, the roll of her spine, the way her fingers drifted down her own thighs like she was pretending not to notice the way Paige was staring. It was all for her. All part of the slow, careful undoing.

Then Azzi backed into her.

It wasn’t aggressive. Just a subtle press of hips to hips. Paige’s breath caught as Azzi rolled her body down and back, grinding into her like they were the only two people on the floor. Paige’s hands found her waist like magnets. She wasn’t thinking anymore. She wasn’t capable.

Azzi glanced back once, eyes dark with heat and challenge. Paige’s grip tightened.

“Jesus,” she muttered into Azzi’s neck.

“You said you were ready.”

“I lied.”

Azzi laughed low and wicked and kept going, her body moving like music itself. Paige was beyond ruined. Her head dipped to Azzi’s shoulder, teeth dragging across the skin there before she caught herself. She couldn’t do this here. She shouldn’t. But she wanted to.

And then, without warning, Azzi’s mouth brushed her ear, lips barely moving. “You’re coming back to mine.”

Paige didn’t reply. Couldn’t. She just met her eyes and nodded once.

It wasn’t a request. It wasn’t even a suggestion.

It was happening.

Back at the table, the team was on their third round of shots. Nika and KK were trying to one-up each other with increasingly bad impersonations of their head coach. Ines was doing the worm on the floor. Caroline had someone’s number written on her forearm in lip liner. There were at least six different cocktails being passed around and a bucket of something on fire that no one could name.

Azzi tugged Paige’s hand. Paige followed, no hesitation.

No one stopped them. No one noticed.

Or maybe they did and just grinned.

By the time they reached the door, Paige was already pulling her close again, already pressing her fingers into Azzi’s side like she couldn’t wait a second longer. The cold night air hit them like a slap but they didn’t care.

They didn’t speak.

They didn’t need to.

They were done pretending.

The real party was just beginning.

--------------------

The front door closed behind them with a soft click, followed by the quiet shuffle of Azzi toeing off her shoes. Paige leaned against the wall for a second, heart pounding harder than it had since they left the bar. The tequila was still in her bloodstream. So was the feel of Azzi’s hips grinding into hers on the dance floor. So was the sight of that dress. That mouth. That look.

Azzi didn’t say a word. Just grabbed Paige’s hand and tugged her down the hall, every step careful on the creaky floorboards. The house was dark except for a soft amber glow spilling out from under the guest room door.

They paused. Azzi slowly turned the knob and cracked it open, peeking inside.

Ruby was fast asleep, cheeks flushed, curls wild on the pillow. Sparklehorn was tucked under one arm, her other hand resting on Katie’s chest. Tim was snoring faintly behind them both, his arm draped over the toddler and his wife like a sleepy fortress. It was soft. Safe. Completely untouched by the night Azzi had just had.

She exhaled.

Paige leaned in behind her, rested her chin briefly on Azzi’s shoulder, and whispered, “She’s good.”

Azzi nodded. They backed away slowly. Then, without a word, Azzi slipped into her room and pulled Paige in after her.

Click. Lock. And the second the door latched, something in the air changed.

Azzi turned. Paige was already on her, kissing her like it had been hours, not minutes, since their last one. Azzi melted into it immediately, arms around her neck, moaning softly into her mouth as Paige backed her into the door. It wasn’t gentle. It wasn’t patient. It was filthy and hot and perfect.

“You,” Paige muttered against her lips, “owe me two positions.”

Azzi’s laugh was breathless, swallowed in another kiss. “I remember.”

Paige’s hands gripped her hips. “I want the first one now.”

Azzi’s brows lifted, eyes glinting in the low light. “Which one?”

“You know.”

There was a beat of silence. Then Azzi stepped back slowly, teasing. She tugged the hem of her dress up and over her head in one smooth motion, leaving her bare and beautiful in the soft light from the hallway.

Paige’s mouth parted. Azzi climbed onto the bed like she owned it. And she did. She looked back at Paige and crooked one finger. “Lie down.”

Paige didn’t hesitate. She stripped off her shirt and pants fast, tossing them somewhere behind her, and laid flat on the mattress, eyes locked to Azzi like she was prey.

Azzi straddled her slowly, knees pressed to either side of her head, her thighs trembling slightly with leftover adrenaline. She hovered just above Paige’s mouth, one hand braced against the headboard, the other threading gently through Paige’s hair.

“You sure you’re up for it?” she teased.

Paige’s hands gripped her ass. “Sit.”

Azzi did. Her knees pressed into the mattress, thighs shaking with anticipation, nerves, and the lingering buzz of tequila. Her breath was shallow, uneven, her heart thudding hard beneath her ribs.

Paige lay flat on her back, arms outstretched in welcome, looking up at her with a hunger that made Azzi’s pulse spike. “Come here, baby,” Paige whispered, voice low, rough with want. “I need you.”

Azzi let out a small exhale and adjusted her position, one hand on the headboard for balance, the other brushing Paige’s hair back tenderly.

Paige slid her hands slowly up Azzi’s thighs — gentle, grounding, thumbs brushing the crease where her legs met her centre. She looked up at her like she was something sacred. “You’re already shaking,” she said softly, a smile tugging at her lips. “You’ve been needing this too, huh?”

Azzi swallowed and gave the faintest nod. “Since we started dancing.”

Paige licked her lips. “Then don’t wait anymore.”

With a soft gasp, Azzi lowered herself onto Paige’s mouth.

The first contact, warm, wet, intentional — nearly stole the breath from her lungs. Paige licked a long, slow stripe from her entrance to her clit, savouring it, tongue dragging through her slick with aching control.

Azzi’s head dropped back as her hips twitched involuntarily. A quiet, stunned moan slipped from her throat. “Oh my god…”

Paige gripped her hips more firmly, holding her steady, guiding her gently forward again. “That’s it, baby. Let me take care of you.”

Azzi moved slowly, rocking against her mouth, her balance faltering as the pleasure took over. Paige met every motion with practised ease, licking her in deep, slow circles, then sucking gently on her clit in pulsing pressure. Her mouth was all heat and hunger and precision.

“Fuck—” Azzi whispered, her voice barely there, her fingers clenching tighter on the headboard. “It’s… you’re…”

She couldn’t form words.

Paige moaned into her, the vibration sparking through her entire body like lightning. Her tongue flattened and pressed deeper, licking in long, wet strokes, then flicking back up to her clit, tongue curling, teasing, tasting.

“You’re so sweet,” Paige murmured against her. “Like you’re meant for this.”

Azzi whimpered. Her thighs were shaking now, her hips rocking down more insistently despite herself. Every time Paige circled her clit just right, her body threatened to collapse.

“Stay with me,” Paige whispered. “I’ve got you. Let me feel all of you.”

Azzi’s hands left the headboard and threaded tightly into Paige’s hair. She didn’t force. She just held. Anchored herself in Paige’s softness, Paige’s strength.

Paige licked harder, messier now, coaxing her open and desperate, mouth gliding through every slick stroke with precision. Her tongue moved in firm, pulsing swirls, her lips sucking gently, worshipping her with every breath.

Azzi gasped. “I’m close. Baby, I’m—” she choked, “—I can’t hold it—”

Paige looked up at her from under her lashes and whispered, “Then don’t.”

She tightened her grip, pulling Azzi down flush onto her mouth, letting her ride it, letting her grind, every motion wet and frantic and beautiful. Azzi’s hips rocked in helpless rhythm, her cries catching in her throat as she tried to stay quiet.

“Come on, baby,” Paige whispered. “Come on my tongue. Give it to me.”

Azzi broke.

Azzi came hard, teeth sinking into her own wrist to keep the noise in, legs shaking, body arching over Paige like she was about to collapse. Paige kept licking through it, slowing only as Azzi began to quiver with overstimulation, her thighs closing gently around Paige’s head, her body melting forward.

Paige eased her off with care, arms wrapping around her waist to steady her. Azzi collapsed beside her, panting, sweat sticking her curls to her forehead, heart thudding wildly.

Paige’s mouth was glossy and red, her eyes full of adoration. “You okay?” she asked gently, brushing Azzi’s damp hair off her cheek.

Azzi laughed, breathless, her voice cracked and raw. “Okay? I think I just floated out of my body.”

Paige kissed her — sweet, slow, tasting herself, tasting them. Azzi moaned into her mouth and curled against her chest.

“You always take care of me like that?” she whispered.

Paige smirked and tucked her hair behind her ear. “Only on Mondays. And Tuesdays. And basically every night you let me.”

Azzi smiled, still shaking. And Paige thought: she has never looked more beautiful.

After laying there letting Azzi regain some sort of control of her body, Paige smirked and rolled to her side, reaching under the bed for her bag.

Azzi blinked. “Wait—”

“You said two.”

Azzi’s breath caught as Paige pulled out the harness and started fitting it into place — smooth, confident, slow just to mess with her. Azzi watched every second, swallowing hard as Paige adjusted the straps around her hips.

Once it was on, Paige stood by the bed, eyes full of fire. “Turn around.”

Azzi did, slowly, getting to her knees, bracing herself on her elbows with her back arched and her ass high in the air.

Paige climbed onto the bed behind her, placing one knee on either side of Azzi’s thighs, the toy brushing lightly across slick skin. She didn’t rush. Instead, she leaned forward, draping her chest across Azzi’s back, her lips ghosting over her shoulder blade as her hands ran up Azzi’s sides, pausing just under her ribs. “Tell me how you want it,” Paige whispered, her breath warm. “How much do you want me, baby?”

Azzi shivered, grinding back against her just slightly. “I want to feel you. Deep. Slow at first. But then—” Her voice faltered, but the blush on her cheeks deepened. “You can go harder. If you want.”

Paige kissed her shoulder gently. “You sure?”

Azzi nodded, voice breathless. “I trust you.”

That undid her.

Paige pressed a final kiss to her neck, then leaned back and positioned herself. She ran the head of the toy slowly through Azzi’s folds — once, twice — gathering slick and teasing her already swollen clit gently before lining up. One hand settled at the small of Azzi’s back, rubbing soft circles into the skin.

“Relax for me, baby,” Paige murmured.

Then — slowly, deliberately — she pushed in.

Azzi’s breath caught as her body welcomed it, inch by inch, tight and soaked, her back arching instinctively as Paige filled her. A low moan escaped her lips as Paige sank in deeper, until their hips were flush. She paused there, letting Azzi breathe, one hand gripping her waist, the other steadying her own body above her.

Azzi whimpered into the pillow. “So full…”

“Yeah?” Paige said softly, pressing kisses along her spine. “You take me so well. Just like that.”

She started to move — slow, deep thrusts that dragged the toy in and out of her with steady precision. Her grip on Azzi’s hips firmed as she guided the rhythm, finding the perfect angle to make Azzi gasp with every roll of her hips. At the same time the harness was rubbing against her clit, she was struggling to hold it in but kept going. Their bodies moved together like they’d been doing this forever — every motion deliberate, every breath shared.

“You’re incredible like this,” Paige whispered, her voice thick. “You’re mine like this.”

Azzi moaned again, the sound raw, needy, broken open. Her body rocked back to meet each thrust, hips rolling, cheeks flushed and damp. “More,” she whispered. “Please.”

Paige leaned forward, her chest against Azzi’s back, arm wrapped across her belly. “More?”

“Yes,” Azzi begged, her voice shaking. “Harder.”

Paige kissed her neck, then shifted her weight. Her thrusts grew deeper, harder, not rushed, but forceful, the sound of their bodies meeting growing louder. Azzi’s fingers clenched in the sheets, her voice catching with each deep stroke. Paige’s hand slipped up her torso, brushing the underside of her breasts, grounding her with every touch.

“You feel so good,” Paige breathed. “So open. So fucking perfect.”

Azzi cried out softly, biting into the pillow to muffle herself. Paige could feel how close she was, in the way she tightened around the toy, in the tremble in her arms, the desperate way her hips kept pushing back for more.

“I’ve got you,” Paige said, her voice shaking now too. “I’m right here.”

Her hand slid around, down between Azzi’s thighs, fingers finding her clit. She rubbed slow, tight circles in time with every thrust, and Azzi broke — her body arching, legs shaking, hips jerking back against her.

“Come on, baby,” Paige whispered against her skin. “Let me feel you come on me.”

Azzi came hard, her entire body shaking, a sob slipping from her lips as she buried her face in the sheets. Paige kept moving through it, slowing only slightly, her hand still rubbing, coaxing every last wave of pleasure from her.

“I’ve got you,” Paige murmured again. “I’ve got you, my girl.”

When Azzi finally collapsed, Paige smiled and kissed her cheek, then gently pulled out, slipping the harness off and tossing it to the floor. She wrapped her arms fully around Azzi now, spooning her from behind, one leg draped over hers, her hand pressed to Azzi’s stomach. “I’m so in love with you,” Paige whispered into her hair.

Azzi turned her head slightly, eyes glassy, cheeks flushed. “I love you,” she whispered.

Paige kissed the back of her shoulder, then her jaw, then her temple. “I know,” she said softly. “I feel it every time you let me love you like that.”

Azzi nodded against the pillow, voice wrecked. “That was… everything.”

They stayed like that for a while — Azzi trembling, Paige wrapped around her from behind, bodies slick and shaking.

Suddenly, Azzi turned to her, chest still rising and falling fast. She smiled and rolled over, slipping between Paige’s legs. “I’m not letting you sleep yet,” she said softly.

Paige didn’t argue. She just leaned her head back into the pillows, lips parted, chest heaving as Azzi settled between her thighs like she belonged there. Her hands slid along Paige’s sides, worshipping every inch with touch alone before dipping lower, fingers trailing lightly over her hips, the inside of her thighs, teasing her without mercy.

Paige’s breath hitched. “You’re serious?”

Azzi looked up with a wicked grin. “Deadly.”

She leaned in and kissed the inside of Paige’s thigh, then the other, slow and lingering. Her mouth was hot and soft and everywhere except where Paige wanted her most. Paige’s legs trembled slightly, still sensitive from earlier, but her need hadn’t faded — not with Azzi looking at her like that. Not with her voice that low and that sweet.

“Can I?” Azzi asked, her breath ghosting over wet skin. “Only if you want more.”

Paige’s hand found her hair. “I always want more of you.”

Azzi didn’t wait another second. She licked a long, unhurried stripe through Paige’s folds, moaning softly at the taste. Paige’s hips twitched, her thighs instinctively closing in, and Azzi held them open gently, fingers digging in just enough to ground her.

“Still so wet,” she murmured. “Still so perfect.”

Paige let out a choked laugh, eyes fluttering closed. “You’re gonna kill me.”

Azzi smiled. “I’d make it worth it.”

Her tongue flicked over Paige’s clit, feather-light at first — teasing, tasting, making her squirm. Then deeper strokes, firmer pressure. She moved like she was memorising her all over again, slow and deliberate, every lick purposeful. Paige’s back arched, a soft gasp catching in her throat.

Azzi groaned into her, the sound vibrating against her clit. “You taste like sex and tequila,” she whispered, licking again, slower now. “I could stay here all night.”

Paige moaned. “Don’t stop. Please—”

Azzi didn’t. She licked her with aching patience, alternating pressure and pace, building her up slowly, cruelly, with full strokes of her tongue and tiny, devastating flicks right where Paige was most sensitive. Her hands stayed soft on her hips, grounding her, guiding her through the rising heat.

Paige was already shaking. “Fuck—Azzi—”

“I’ve got you, baby,” she murmured between licks. “Just let go.”

She flattened her tongue and dragged it all the way up again, then sealed her lips around Paige’s clit and sucked, slow, firm, unrelenting. Paige cried out, one hand flying to cover her mouth as her hips jerked off the bed.

Azzi groaned and slipped two fingers inside, gently, easily, curling just enough to make Paige sob. “You’re so tight,” she breathed. “So warm. Let me feel you, Paige. Come on.”

Paige’s eyes squeezed shut. “I’m gonna—God—Az—please—”

Azzi sucked harder, tongue flicking fast over her clit as her fingers moved deeper, pressing right into that perfect spot with every stroke. Paige broke, her whole body clenching around her fingers as her orgasm tore through her like fire. Her mouth opened in a soundless cry, her thighs clamping around Azzi’s head as she came hard — wetter than before, louder, every part of her unravelled.

Azzi didn’t stop until Paige was twitching from overstimulation, her hand weakly tugging at her hair to signal she needed a break. Azzi eased off gently, pressing soft, open-mouthed kisses along her inner thighs as Paige tried to catch her breath.

When she finally crawled back up the bed, Paige was wrecked — completely limp, skin flushed, hair damp, mouth parted in a dazed smile. Her eyes blinked open just enough to find Azzi’s face.

“I can’t feel my legs,” she whispered.

Azzi laughed, breathless. “That’s how I know I did it right.”

Paige reached up and cupped her cheek, pulling her in for a slow, messy kiss that tasted like both of them. Azzi melted into it, settling her weight gently on Paige’s chest, both of them boneless, skin to skin, hearts still racing.

“You should always be touched like that,” Azzi murmured.

Paige smiled into her mouth. “I should only be touched like that… by you.”

Azzi brushed a damp strand of hair off her forehead and kissed her again, softer this time — reverent. “You’re mine,” she whispered.

“I’ve always been yours,” Paige replied.

“Happy birthday baby” Azzi whispered.

Paige laughed weakly. “Best fucking one of my life.”

They didn’t say anything else. They didn’t need to.

Eventually, they fell asleep tangled together, Paige curled around Azzi from behind, their limbs a mess of warmth and closeness. The room still smelled like sex and sweat and tequila. The sheets were half off the bed, and the door was still locked.

#pazzi #pazzi fics #paige bueckers #azzi fudd #paige x azzi #uconn wbb #wlw

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missmarveledsblog · 11 months ago

Text

FLUMPY PART 4 ( JAKE SERESIN X READER)

SUMMARY: now at home while the guys navigate to looking after her in her recovery while she navigates her feelings to her new friend and now roommate since he was staying in the spare room to begin while also learning to get used to her new temporary life not being able to do much .

warning : adding the roommate trope to the list , the two get closer more flirty this chapter, we're getting there promise . mention of injuries , mutual pining , idiot in love flirty tension. little angst but more of goofy part to be honest . reader is in wheelchair after the accident but not permanently .

Once again the men left , some to get food while went, hangman and rooster wanted to stay it was new to see him like that and had her head reeling .

" so what weren't you telling me that little head thinking about " sarah asked .

" caught that huh" .

" caught the goo goo eyes at the tall blonde too" she winked .

" oh jake hang man i caught that too " maria simpson giggled .

" we've notice it even when she said she couldn't stand him" penny laughed .

" he beat up a dude twice for her ... dont tell your husband" nat gulp looking at maria .

" lips are seal wow how romantic" .

" yeah it was kinda bad ass .. don't tell hangman" she looked at y/n .

" wait he's the other one that requested leave to help her too" maria asked.

" does your husband tend to gossip like a high schooler this much" y/n asked shocked.

" only when it matters" she smirked .

" well i approve and i know your mom , tom , nick and carol would too" sarah smiled warmly .

"oh carol would be setting them up" penny nodded .

" oh honey whats wrong" they asked hearing a little cry .

" i miss them all so much" she sniffled starting to feel a little loopy too

. " they're here in spirit" penny kissed her head as sarah wiped her tears .

" i know but still" she cried harder.

" oh shit we broke her" nat joked. "Don't make me laugh it hurts" she sniffled .

" hey what's wrong darling" jake rushed to her side as the women shared smiles.

" i want my dead people back" she cried .

" what" rooster snorted .

" your mom, her mom , your dad and her husband " nat explained as they tried to not laugh.

" sorry it's not funny" sarah shook her head before they start laughing again .

" she get her meds" rooster asked.

" half an hour ago" penny wiped her eyes crying from laughing so much .

" explains it" jake smiled down helping her get comfortable .

" come on we let her settle,get coffee" nat herded them out the room including bradley.

" jake anyone ever tell you that your like a real life ken doll and g.i joe rolled into" she asked slightly dopey smile on her face.

" think you did couple times darling" he smirked .

" darling ugh i love that" she copied his accent .

" ok go sleep you" he laughed .

" so pretty i ever tell you , your pretty" she asked. " nope you did not unless pretty annoying counts" . " so pretty handsome pretty" she said dosing off . " think your beautiful darling" he whispered. "AWHH" he turned to see them all standing there . " not a word of this" he rolled his eyes.

Two week she was in hospital , she'd met the good samaritan charlie and his wife them giving her their number and address to keep in touch which she promised she would . Cops also visiting her taking her statement and let her know they caught the man who apparently was also drunk when he hit her only reason they knew was he crashed into a wall after a car chase that day and also was unharmed which she felt was like a kick in the gut since she was still in hospital and it was going to take at least ten more week of recovery also physiotherapy. But she was going home she sat as the beautiful nurse ruby went over after care as her dad , bradley and jake listened intently although the nurse gaze lingered on bradshaw the longest . when she finished she had her number over to the man incase he has more question .

" go roo" she cheered.

" you missy keep in touch too , i wasn't lying when i said you were my favourite patient although i will say my fellow nurses will miss the eye candy" she giggle as she hugged y/n .

" don't worry can't get rid of me but i will send some beach shots " she winked .

" sweetheart you little perv" jake laughed .

" hey what nurse ruby wants she gets after her excellent care" .

" don't be a stranger but also don't end up in here either" again her eyes lingered on rooster before she left.

" ok lets go push me i may be free but i'm not fully mobile yet" she cheered .

" you sure your in a rush darling we're riding in the bronco" jake asked.

" hey leave my baby along bagman" he gasped.

" it's not a bike but it will do" she sighed itching to get moving .

" i'm buying you a car any car you want princess" mav joked although she could sense the seriousness to it too .

" i guess these are only wheels i need for now huh" she looked down at the wheelchair.

" well then lets get rocking and rolling hot wheels" . " jesus christ bradley" the other two men hissed as her and roo laughed their ass off out the room .

Pulling up to her drive way was exciting , seeing the dagger squad standing a make shift sign in their hands along with penny and amelia. " hey where the ramp come from" her head tilted .

" bob got it , it's only temp one" rooster got out the car to get her only jake got their first.

" i gotcha" he smiled lifting her out of the car and into the chair.

hey look my new wheels" she said .

" oh your home finally" nat bounced towards her taking the chair from hangman and pushing her to the house.

" i mean i glad to be out of there but i think we might see a face around if someone grows a pair that is" she called back words targeted bradley.

" not only one who should grow a pair" he smirked at jake who glared at him . he was happy she didn't hear it or see how red his cheeks were.

The house was sparkling , looking around to see they cleaned it from top to bottom that was till her eyes stopped on the helmet that sat scratched , broken and in rough shape on coffee table .

" shit bob i told you hide that" .

" is it here?" she asked looking around at the pained faces.

" the garage when your ready" rooster crouched down to her level. " i wanna see it".

" no come on just enjoy being home pretty girl it can wait" .

" either someone brings me or i bring myself i wanna see it" she snapped .

" come on i wanna see it too" mav sighed.

" mav no she not.." .

" i got her" he said knowing she wasn't gonna give up . she was quiet as he wheeled her to the garage opening the door he but stopping turning to her.

" you sure?" and yet the words wouldn't come from her mouth so she nodded. He opened the door and closed it once they were inside he almost moved in slow motion walking over and pulling the sheet back . a gasp escaped her lips taking in the wreckage , lucky was an understatement as she looked at the completely destroyed machine. The way part hung off or the metal bent and scratched beyond repair but it in perspective of how close to never seeing her loved ones again. Her lip trembling and the sobs broke free , gut wrenching cries that made her dad snap out of his shock state and cover the bike before his arms wrapped around his daughter.

i got you sweet girl , daddy's got you" he repeated his own emotions getting best of him.

" get rid of it please daddy get rid of it" she hiccuped through the sobs that echoed through the room pleading like when she was little afraid of the monster in her closet or under the bed , she didn't care the other would hear them . " get rid of it" she begged.

" i will sweet girl lets get you into the house" he wiped his own face before the door that connected from house opened .

"i got her chair" rooster said not daring to look at the sheet it was evident on his face he was crying , they all were not a dry eye in the house when she looked around the room .

" i ruined the mood" she sniffled. " damn dust" rooster said swatting around them making her laugh only for the others to copy . " ok dustbusters lunch time" nat rolled her own teary eyes .

The mood restored as they ate food , she listened and laughed as they explained the trial and errors of setting her ramp up .

" cyclone said it was easy" bob held his hand up in defence .

" it was once we got the hang of it" fanboy fell over he was laughing so hard.

" wanna play on it later really test it out " .

" not in my chair you giants will break it"she yawned.

" she looks tired" nat face looked her over.

" med time too" bradley checked his watch.

" but i was having fun" she whined.

" we'll be back tomorrow hotstuff" nat winked.

" come on" jake lift her up and out of the room as she called good bye to others. " jesus in that much of a rush to get me to bed" she asked still waving at her friends leaving

. " know me too well sweet heart" he chuckled . she couldn't help miss her room and her bed but something was very different .

" why is there a baby monitor on my bed side table " her head tilt looking at the machine confused.

" chicken got them incase you need him during the night" .

" ooh that is clever.. Don't tell him i said that" she giggled.

" too late pretty girl wanna say it again only this time i can record it keep it with me for ever" he chuckled walking in pills in one hand and water bottle in the other .

" bagman do the honours i'm going to text ruby think i'm forgetting something" he said handing over them over .

" forgot my ass he misses the pretty nurse" jake handed her them as she laughed and groaned . " i miss being able to laugh with out pain" she pouted .

" they should help for now with that" jake smiled holding the bottle for her and she drank it back .

" can you sit with me til i sleep i kinda got use to it in the hospital" . " course i will sweetheart" .

He should of left an hour ago but yet he couldn't every little sound he was checking if she was ok .

" bagman the spare room is made up for you over" roosters voice called through the monitor.

" their not walkie talkies man , i'll head in now thanks.... Over" he chuckled giving her one more check before .

" goodnight darling" he whisper leaning down to kiss her head.

" awwhh cutie over" .

" creep" he shook his head walking out the door only to open door to spare room and rooster standing there.

" i figure you wanted them tonight , night lover boy" rooster patted his back heading to his own room .

" night bird brain " he rolled his eyes . " your good friend" he added closing the door . routinely he checked on her during the night from her to her injuries making sure the dressing were clean and she wasn't in pain then he went to sleep .

"Roo i need help" she whined sending him to his feet and into her room not caring he was in just his underwear.

" what's wrong , where hurts?" he began checking her over as she was completely taking off guard of half naked man in her room .

" where's roo" she asked forcing her eyes to his face .

" sleep what ya need, i can do it" he asked softly. " i need to pee" she whispered.

" i'll get rooster" he laughed heading out the room as it appeared both men decided to forgo clothes to be . wordlessly rooster lifted her half a sleep and to the toilet and back before some from of grunt and back to bed.

" oddly more efficient and less annoying half asleep" she giggled. " also why you here" she asked still trying to keep her eyes on his face although she did let them flicker .

" well i'm taking your spare room while you recover so get used to me being around" he shrugged trying to come off as confident but honestly he was a little nervous.

" he put the monitors in your room huh?" she asked seeing how nice her ceiling suddenly was .

" yeah i don't mind even if you snore like a hornet either" he teased .

" i do not snore like a super hornet , more like a kitten" she mused although her cheek felt on fire at possibility of her snoring in his ear though a monitor.

" no kitten don't shake the walls" he teased .

" that's clearly roo" she rolled her eyes .

" go sleep i'll wait til you are snoring" he wink loving the sound of her laugh or the little blush on her cheeks .

" no go before ROO's snoring keeps you awake night jake" she yawned. " night darling" he laughed heading to his temporary room .

" i ain't saying it man just pretend you didn't hear it , she enough on her problem without mine" she awoke to jake's voice as sun peaking in the curtains . it only felt like she closed her eyes and yet it was now morning .

" come on man just tell her she can help" .

" help with what why are you fighting this early" she groaned as they walked in fully clothed this time.

" jake needs help with something" rooster help her sit up although she wasn't fully awake and still groggy from her meds .

" it's nothing sweetheart ignore him" jake held the tray with her breakfast .

" ok you two are yelling and waking me up so tell me and give me real coffee" she yawned.

" he need a place to stay and won't ask" rooster spoke up .

" ok take spare room , coffee now" she grumbled .

"your using it anyways so just go with guys later to get your stuff while nat bathes me now bitches stop and coffee me " she said.

" told you" rooster stuck his time out. " coffee" she whined .

"shit sorry , you sure" he asked waiting til she drank it.

" yeah you'll be staying while i recover so why not just same as roo for rent and help towards bills and groceries" she said happier after her coffee.

" sorry for waking you pretty girl" bradley finally said. " nah its ok it's only ... 11 am what the hell" she wanted to rub her eyes but couldn't hole lack of mobility was killing her dramatic flare.

" thanks sweetheart" jake smiled. "Yeah next time don't be all bashful i maybe broken but i can still be useful ... can someone wipe my eyes" she asked sweetly.

she sat now cleaned on her bed at first the thought of being bathed at home well honestly was weird and yet funny as they wrapped the casts in plastic bags . " that was so good thank you feels nice to be clean and home" she sighed happily sitting on her bed as nat dried her hair.

" no problem although i didn't expect to come and find jake was moving in this morning you move quick"she laughed.

" not like that although he came into my room in just his boxer i think i died a little although so did roo not the same affect i mean think that cause he's my big brother in a way" she laughed.

" so half naked nurses " she giggled.

" i mean can't complain i don't think anyone would nat i could die with the hotness" she sighed dramatically.

" shh that's the front door" she laughed.

" new rule no shirts allowed" she yelled out . "your father is here perv" rooster yelled back.

" that's medication dad" she winced.

" i'll pretend i didn't hear it" he chuckled.

" do we take out shirts of or not" .

"keep your clothes on fanboy" the two girl burst into tear of laughter.

" hey was worth a shot" she snorted only for nat to hit the floor and guys rushing out.

" oh it's just phoenix" bradley said relieved .

" here let me help you up" mav held his hand out.

" love you too bradshaw" she snickered.

" what has gotten into you two" .

"we were watching magic mike" nat lied easily.

" got my own show of it last night" she whispered .

" i didn't heard that either" her dad walked out.

" what she say" .

" NOTHING" .

Monday came as she and bradley called their goodbye to jake eating their breakfast in her bed starting their morning at home . they watched countless hours of trash tv to the point they were taking score of the lie detector and paternity test result what was unexpected was how good rooster was at calling it .

" HAHA he fail i said it" she cheered .

" ok you won this times but i got the rest right pretty girl i know my trash tv".

" ok that's sad roo , this is sad" she looked at what they were doing .

" want to watch a movie or we could take you on a spin around the block .

" fresh air would be nice but i need to get dressed" she said sadly.

" and i've changed you drunk a lot in the past " he shrugged.

" i don't have a bra on" .

" i'll close my eyes pretty pst i got this" he smiled confidently.

He didn't have it not even close to it first he got it stuck before he put it on her head , then it got stuck on her arm which when he tried it hurt her so he had to look which was awkward as hell for both of them .

" we don't speak of it" she said as he wheeled her out the room .

" speak of what now" jake walked in the front door.

" i saw her boobs" bradley shuddered.

" that's not speaking of it and there not bad don't shake like that" .

" what me to show you mine make it even" he joked.

" no i seen them enough" she shuddered.

" see you did it too" he laughed.

" ok kids what are you doing" jake asked.

" oh walk around the block hot wheels here has cabin fever" bradley explained .

"scar face is right i can't take anymore paternity test and lie detectors" she pouted.

" you wanna take her i'll get lunch started" bradley asked .

" yeah sure i'm finished for day anyways" jake threw his bag down and took her chair.

" you can't cook , he gonna burn the house down" she yelled .

" i seen your boobies" he called making her shut up instantly.

" next time you play magic mike sweet heart give me heads up" jake teased .

" hard to magic mike it when you can barely move one arm and not move the other" she rolled her eyes.

Fresh air was so needed , seeing the birds in the sky or bees in the flower . even just feeling the slight breeze in her hair it was magical . little thing she missed being stuck at home or in the hospital . she missed work to itching to get back to being in the hanger, she loved her job and it suck not being about to do what she loved.

" what going on that pretty head of yours" jake asked instantly taking her attention funny she well not hated but didn't like him and now she looked forward to seeing him .

" pretty careful might think you don't hate me" she joked.

" never did wise ass" he laughed.

" fair anyways this all of it being out and enjoying the world instead of watching it out the window" she took as deep breathe letting it fill her lungs.

" you'll be running around in no time darling back to the hike least this time you won't ignore me" he chuckled.

" yeah i was an ass" she shook her head slightly guilty of her behaviour .

" nah i deserved it i was the ass" he said softer.

" we are both asses you can be left cheek and ill be right since it's my good side". " plus hard too ignore you ... being the account of you being so blonde i mean" she backtracked .

" hmm i don't think that's what you meant sweet heart do explain" he came closer she could feel his breathe on the back of her neck .

" i'm medicated don't let it go to your head bagman" she narrowed her eyes at him .

" nuh uh none of that i like my name coming from those pretty lips" he didn't know how it turned this way but he was enjoying the flirty tone.

" hey i'm broken you don't need to flirt cause you feel bad" she fake sniffled .

" ain't flirting cause your broken ..." .

" oh y/n your home bradley never said" an elderly woman came over to the two.

" hey mrs wilson i sure am" she smiled at her old neighbour .

" how are you doing dear" she gave a pity filled smile. " oh well intact sort of but i'm here" .

" who is this fine young man" she cooed batting her lashes.

" jake seresin ma'am nice to meet you" he shook her hand and y/n though the woman was melt on spot because she was same lately.

" jake actually new room mate naval aviator like roo not young though" she giggled . " but fine huh" he whispered in her ear making her gulp.

" oh she is very red maybe bring her in out of the sun" the woman worriedly checked her over.

" oh god kill me ... i mean i'm fine i'm fine" her voice went all pitchy only adding to the flush .

" best be going" jake held the laugh in .

" i'm medicated" she hissed.

" hey pretty girl med time come on" rooster called from their porch.

"oh kill me now."

PART 5

taglist : @harrysgothicbitch , @djs8891

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