bapeach

[bapeach]

Lovebug

Constructive criticism is always welcome :D Find my masterlist here :)

Pairing(s): Nika Mühl x female!reader  Word count: 1.6k+ Warnings: R has a cold, lot of pet names Summary: You caught a (love)bug and Nika takes care of you. ------------

The moment you wake up, you already know it’s not going to be a good day. Your throat aches, your skin feels clammy, breathing in through your nose feels impossible, and your head is pounding like a jackhammer working overtime. 

You groan in displeasure as your hand fumbles across the sheets to find comfort in your girlfriend. The cold bed makes you open your eyes. Squinting from the splitting pain in your head, you realize Nika has already left for her morning run. You whimper softly as you curl into a ball, your arms folding over your stomach. 

It’s your own fault, really. Nika had warned you about the cold weather and told you it would be silly to go on a walk when you two could enjoy the warmth of your cozy apartment instead. You’d just given her a big grin before running off to put your shoes on, knowing she’d come after you anyway. You’d been hopping around excitedly, waiting for her to put on her jacket and beanie and take your hand in hers as you took the elevator down and walked to the park. 

You’d had the time of your life, watching snowflakes fall from the sky, kissing Nika in the middle of an empty park, and drinking a hot chocolate at a cute little café. You’ve always loved snow, but the main reason you wanted to go for a walk was because you adore how cute your girlfriend looks in her old UConn beanie, a jacket that seems to swallow her whole, and a bright nose and cheeks from the cold.

Now, however, you’re regretting the romantic walk as you bundle up into your blankets, feeling as though you’re lying on a bed of snow. Shivers ripple through your body as your teeth chatter. You know you should get up and get some medication, take a cold shower to lower your fever, and drink some water, but your limbs feel like lead.

You feel tears well up in your eyes and mentally scold yourself for getting emotional over nothing, but you just feel so bad. You want nothing more than to curl up into Nika’s strong arms, your head on her chest as you listen to the comforting drum of her heart as she whispers sweet nothings into your ear, lulling you back to sleep. You wouldn’t even need medicine, just the soft touch of her skin, her sweet scent, and her faint Croatian accent would heal you right back up.

You’re too far in your head to hear the quiet jingle of keys at the front door or the soft creak of the hardwood floor leading to your bedroom. When the door opens, a stream of light enters the dark room, making you screw your eyes closed for a second before opening them again to look at your girl. Your lips unintentionally form a slight pout as you look up at her. 

“Oh Ljubavi,” Nika sighs with a small frown as she settles down next to you. Her hand brushes away the damp hair clinging to your forehead before leaning down and kissing it gently. You don’t notice the bag she has with her until she puts it on her lap and starts rummaging through it. “You were tossing and turning a lot last night,” the brunette says as she pulls out different kinds of medication, as well as teas and electrolyte drinks to keep you hydrated. “When I woke up this morning, you were already a bit hot and frowning in your sleep, so I went down to the store to get you some stuff.”

Your throat feels like it’s closing up as your lip trembles. You’ve never had anyone take care of you the way the Croatian does, and though your whole body feels cold, your chest feels warm. “I love you,” you rasp, your voice barely louder than a whisper. Nika sends you an affectionate smile. You’re sure that that smile alone cured a bit of your headache.

“I love you too, Draga. Now let’s get you all better, hm?” She hands you some water before opening a bottle of painkillers and passing you one. You swallow the pill with as few gulps of water as possible, each sip feeling like a burning fire in your throat. Nika gives you a sympathetic look, offering you a lozenge. You pop it in your mouth with a little huff.

The athlete starts getting up from the bed when you lurch forward and grab her arm. “Don’t go,” you plead, your lower lip jutting out. Nika grabs your hand, placing a kiss on your palm. “Shh, it’s alright. I’m just gonna go to the bathroom and run you a bath, okay? We need to bring your body temperature down. I’ll be right back, my love.” She squeezes your hand three times before placing it back down on the bed and walking away.

She’s only gone for a moment when you sit up and get out of bed. Your legs tremble as you shuffle towards the bathroom. You feel as though you might collapse at any given moment, but that doesn’t matter. You need to be near Nika. Normally, you’d have a bit more self-restraint and worry if you’re coming off a bit too strong, but when you’re sick, you just get so clingy.

At the sound of you stumbling against the door frame, the brunette looks up and lets out a little laugh. “You’re ridiculous, you know that?” You give her a sad pout as she walks over, taking your hand and leading you over to the closed toilet so you can sit down. When the bath is full, Nika turns off the tap and turns towards you. 

Seeing you frown at the bath, she grabs your face. “I know you feel cold, but we need to bring down your body temperature to get rid of the fever. And I know you don’t like being all sweaty and sticky, so let’s make this quick, and then we can go cuddle in bed, okay?”

Even though nothing sounds better than cuddling with the goddess in front of you, you shake your head. “You’ll get sick too.” “Oh nonsense, I’m Croatian, we don’t get sick.” Your lips twitch into a tiny smile at her words. “Didn’t you say you were dying last month when you got the sniffles?” Nika’s face drops before a playful, concerned look appears on her face. “Oh, it’s worse than I thought, you’re hallucinating, remembering things that never happened! Chop chop! Hop in the bath!”

You laugh at her silliness but stop fairly quickly as a coughing fit takes over your body. The brunette softens, rubbing your back as you cough. Once you’ve calmed down, she helps lift you into the bath, crouching down beside it as you splutter a few curses at the lukewarm water. Nika gives you a gentle smile as she rubs your cheek a few times before getting up. “I’ll be right back, okay, baby? I’m gonna go put on the kettle so you can have some tea for your throat.” 

You pout at her, wanting her to stay, but you nod your head anyway, not wanting to be too difficult. You quickly wash off the sweat clinging to your body so you can go back to bed as soon as possible. When your girlfriend returns, she’s carrying your favorite shirt of hers and your nicest pajama pants with her. After putting them down, she grabs a big, soft towel and holds it open. “C’mere,” she mumbles as you crawl into her arms. Once you’re dried off and clothed, Nika carries you back to bed. You notice she changed the sheets while she went to put on the kettle, making a gentle smile grow on your face.

The taller girl giggles when you refuse to let her go, clinging onto her like a koala. You let her go after a few seconds, knowing she’ll be back soon anyway. When the Croatian returns, she sets down a steaming cup of tea on your nightstand before crawling into bed next to you. You immediately slide into Nika’s open arms, sighing contently when she starts playing with your hair.

“Go back to sleep, Ljubavi. I’ll wake you up in a couple of hours when you need to take more medication.” She mutters. You feel her soft lips and warm breath against your head as she speaks, making you squeeze her even tighter. You really believe that this is the best place on earth, right in Nika’s arms.

“You should set ‘n alarm, y’don’t wanna miss practice,” you mumble sleepily against the hollow of her throat. “You think I’m going to leave you alone here? No, I’m skipping practice today.” She says, making you shift a little to look at her. “I love you, but no. You’re a big shot basketball player now, you can’t just miss practice.” 

She just hugs you tighter as she replies, “You’re right, I am a big shot, but that’s exactly why I can miss a practice. I’m not gonna play badly just because I skipped once. And what’re they gonna do? Fire me? Nahh.” You roll your eyes at her cockiness, but your lips curl into a tiny smile anyway.

“Now hush,” she mutters. You open your mouth to banter some more, but you don’t have the energy to argue. Nika seems to realize, as she starts murmuring sweet pet names in Croatian, lulling you back to sleep. “There we go baby, I’ve got you,” are the last words you hear as you tumble into a deep sleep.

[bapeach]

The mom friend

A platonic fic this time. Hope y'all enjoy! Constructive criticism is always welcome :D Find my masterlist here :)

Platonic pairing(s): UConn x female!reader Word count: 4k+ Summary: In which you takes care of your friends without needing anything in return. ------------

When you first arrived at UConn, people immediately had a prejudice against you. Dressed in all black, arms tatted, a resting bitch face and a quiet nature made people think one of three things. One, you thought you were way better than everyone else. Two, you were going to cause a lot of trouble, and not the good kind. Or three, you couldn’t care less about people.

Quite the opposite of that is true.

Though you don’t really look the part, you’re the mom friend of the group. Which the team found out quickly enough. Now when they need a shoulder to cry on, an unjudging ear to talk to, or something as simple as painkillers, they come to you. 

You’re calm, level-headed, and always prepared. You also give the best advice out of the whole team. Not because you’ve been through the most shit, but just because you know when to be quiet and let people ramble and when to speak up and give advice or solve their issues.

----

You’re currently sitting in the UConn bus on your way to an away game, headphones on as you stare out the window. You’re sitting in the front, where it’s a lot calmer than the back. The seat beside you is empty, just the way you like it. Of course, you love your team, but you like having an open seat in case anyone ever needs to talk about something a bit more private and wants to come over and chat.

You don’t pay attention to the screaming in the back of the bus or the objects soaring through the sky. You only focus on the slow strum of the guitar in the song you’re listening to and the cars flying by on the highway. Your mind is calm, not really thinking about the upcoming game or the exams that are fast approaching.

You sit up straight as your watch buzzes against your wrist. You rummage through your bag, grabbing the stuff you might need, before slowly making your way towards the back of the vehicle. Aaliyah, who’s seated not far behind you, already knows what’s happening, so she just sends you a quick thumbs-up. You nod at her with a small smile before continuing on.

The next person on your list of people to talk to is Azzi. The younger girl is sitting near the middle of the bus, noise-cancelling headphones on with a sleeping mask on her face. Her head is leaning against Paige’s shoulder, who’s trying not to be too loud or make too many movements. Which is pretty hard for the hyperactive athlete, so you give her a mental pat on the back.

Once you reach the couple, you give Paige a smile before crouching down between the rows of seats. You softly put your hand on the resting Azzi, gently rubbing her arm to check if she’s asleep or not. After a few seconds, she shifts, sleepily pulling off her mask before taking off one side of her headphones. 

“Hey,” you say softly. “Have you taken your meds?” It takes her a few seconds to register what you’re saying before she shakes her head. Paige bends down to grab her bag, handing her her medication and some water. You give Azzi’s arm a tiny squeeze before continuing further towards the back.

It gets pretty wild as you reach the end. KK is riling up some of the other girls, jumping around from seat to seat, loudly singing a song off-key. Once she sees you coming with a look that says “calm down”, she sits back down with a goofy smile. You might be one of the only people that can get her to chill out a bit without her feeling like she’s being too much or being a bother.

“Have you taken your meds and vitamins?” You ask her, leaning against the empty seat in front of her. “Oh shit!” She curses, looking around for her bag. She searches around for a few seconds before looking at you awkwardly. You roll your eyes fondly, lifting up the bag from next to you.

KK beams as she lunges forward to grab it. You wait for a few moments to make sure she’s taking her medicine and not just getting distracted again. Though she finds her pill box pretty fast, she looks up again with an “oops, I did it again” look. “I forgot my water bottle…” she says with an apologetic smile. 

You grin at her as you grab a bottle of water out of your cargo pants. You hand it to her, getting a loud “Thank youuuuu” in response. Once she’s taken her pills, you turn around and make your way back to the front. As you walk, your eyes scan over the seats, making sure that everyone is doing alright. 

Before you sit back down in your seat, you nod at coach Geno, who’s already looking at you to see how the rest are doing. Once you’re in your spot, you lean your head back against the window and close your eyes, trying to get some rest during the remainder of the trip.

It doesn’t take long before you feel someone sitting down next to you. You open your eyes again, turning towards your teammate. Caroline gives you a soft smile, but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes. You pull your headphones down to your neck and look at her with a calm, knowing look. You don’t ask what’s wrong, knowing she’ll tell you when she’s ready.

Realizing you can tell something is wrong and there’s no point in hiding, Caroline drops her smile. “My head hurts,” she mumbles, clenching her jaw as another wave of pain pulses through her skull. “What kind of headache is it? A normal headache? A migraine? Is it from your neck?” you ask softly as to not hurt her head even more. You’re glad the back of the bus finally seems to have quieted down.

“My neck,” she replies with a sad frown. You rummage through your bag to find some painkillers, handing them to her without a word. You let her drink from your water bottle as you make eye contact with Aaliyah as she stands up to make sure Caroline is okay. You give her a look, letting her know you’ll take care of her, making her smile before she sits back down.

After putting your water bottle back, you lean back in your chair, letting Caroline lean against you. You rub her neck, trying to relieve some tension as she relaxes against you. It only takes her a few minutes to be fully knocked out against your shoulder.

The rest of the ride passes without any issues.

Once you arrive at the hotel, you wake up Caroline, who gives you a thankful smile as she loops her arm with Paige, who’s already waiting for her with a concerned look. You stay seated until everyone has made it out of the bus before making your way through the aisle to make sure that no one forgot anything.

You grab Nika’s lucky bracelet from the floor beneath her seat, putting it in your pocket before finally leaving the bus. The girls have already followed CD into the building, while Geno waits for you outside of the hotel. You smile at one another, making quiet conversation as you follow the team. You let him know Caroline was having issues with her neck and that everyone that needed to take medicine took it. When you join the group, Geno pats you on the back in appreciation.

CD explains that they’ve rented the whole top floor of the hotel for the team, but that that doesn’t mean everyone can cause chaos and mayhem. She gives KK and Paige a pointed look, making everyone stifle a laugh. She calls out the names of every girl, partnering them up with someone else to room with for the night. Two by two, the team starts dispersing into the elevator or up the stairs to go to their room. 

Since the team is at an odd number, you get assigned to a room by yourself. You don’t mind, though, knowing that at some point everyone ends up hanging out in your room anyway. CD hands you your key with a smile and a wink, while Geno hands you a copy of the schedule. The schedule is somewhat modified from the standard one the rest have.

Your program includes more information than is really needed, but you like being informed. Your sheet is also the only one (outside the coaching staff) with the correct times on it. Though they are brilliant players with a high IQ both on the court and off, most of the girls struggle with being on time. Since it’s not an issue for you, seeing as you’re usually early, you’re the only one to get the correct timetable.

You take your time going up to your room, enjoying the peace and quiet, while also relishing in the faint sound of laughter coming from the team as you pass their rooms. Once you reach your room, you immediately start unpacking everything that needs to be unpacked, like your toiletries as well as your pajamas. When you’re all set, you lie down on your bed with a satisfied sigh.

Seeing as the whole floor has been rented, most girls left their doors open to easily be able to talk to each other and walk to each other’s rooms. Your own door has been left ajar, the only light in the room coming from the hallway and the streetlights outside. You lie on the bed with a satisfied smile as you listen to the giggles from your friends. You grin as you hear KK screeching and Paige’s boisterous laugh, knowing you’ll have to go tell them to quiet down soon before Geno gets mad.

Knock knock

“Knock knock,” a voice says as they knock on your door frame and lean into your room. You open your eyes and give Ice a kind smile. “Black pouch, left side of my suitcase,” you tell her. “What? I didn’t even say anything,” she replies, a confused frown on her face.

You sit up a bit, leaning on your elbows as you smirk at her. “You’re right, my bad. What’s up?” You ask. Ice squints her eyes slightly before mumbling, “Do you have any extra tampons?” Your smirk widens as you flop back down onto the bed, putting your arms behind your head. “Black pouch, left side of my suitcase,” you repeat.

“How did you know what I was gonna say?” She asks in disbelief. You shrug nonchalantly. “It’s the 13th of the month,” you reply, slowly getting up to grab a drink. “So what? You know my whole cycle?” She says with an unsure laugh. You shrug again. “I know everyone’s cycle,” you say before taking a sip of water. 

“Azzi gets pretty bad cramps when she has her period, so she comes to me for painkillers. Nika gets bad headaches, so she often comes to me for some peace and quiet. KK becomes quieter and grumpier, Caroline becomes more emotional, and you always forget to bring stuff,” you finish with a smile.

Ice looks at you for a moment. “You’re pretty amazing, you know that?” She says, looking at you like it’s the first time she’s really seeing you. You give her a gentle smile, giving her shoulder a soft squeeze as you pass her. You leave her be as you start making your way down the hall, popping into every room to let them know it’s time for dinner soon and to get ready. 

Once you’ve let everyone know, you walk back to your room to change into more suitable clothing. You pass Ice on your way back, giving her a wink and a grin. In no time, you’re ready to leave. You grab a small bag, putting in some more medicine, pads/tampons, bandages, and other stuff the team might need before leaving. You make your way towards the elevator, straining your ears to make sure everyone is getting dressed.

Once inside, you press the button to the floor below you. You stroll over to Geno’s room, knocking on the door and smiling once CD opens it. She lets you in, letting you sit in the chair in the corner of the room. You let them know everyone is getting ready and that the bus should be able to leave within the next 15 or so minutes.

Before long, everyone is back in the bus on their way to a nice restaurant nearby. You stand behind Geno in the aisle as you both do a quick headcount to make sure everyone is there. Most people would think this is unnecessary. Even some of the team have said that before. Well, they did before KK got left behind at a restroom stop, and they only realized she was missing when they realized no one was causing a ruckus.

Once satisfied, the bus driver drives off. You sit closer to the rest of the team this time, seeing as it’s only a short drive. You tease some of the newer players with the older girls, giving them a wink to let them know you’re just joking. 

At the restaurant, you sit down at the end of the table, near Paige, Azzi, KK, and Nika. Your eyes scan the menu as you lean to the side to let Nika look at it as well. You listen to what everyone else is getting, shaking your head as Paige says her order. 

“You’re not gonna like that,” you mumble as you glance up at her. “What? No, I like this stuff,” she says, nodding her head to convince you. “Remember how you said that last time and then spent the whole dinner pouting cus you hated it?” You ask not unkindly. “Yeah, okay, but this is different,” she says determinedly. “Alright,” you say, giving her a smile. 

You order a spaghetti, knowing it’s a dish that Paige also likes, just in case you end up being right. Once everyone’s food and drinks arrive, you take a sip of your water, leaning back as you look at the blonde in front of you. Her face contorts the second she takes her first bite. When she catches your eye, she masks her expression, but it’s too late. You’ve already seen she doesn’t like it.

You give her an “I told you so” smirk before leaning over to switch your plates. “No, no! It’s fine, this is fine!” She stumbles. “Shut up, P,” you reply with a tender smile, swapping the dishes. You don’t notice the grins the rest of the team gives each other at the sweet moment. You share your dessert with KK, who claimed to be too full after dinner but seemed to suddenly have some more space after seeing the sweet treats on the table. 

Once back at the hotel, you make your way to your room, knowing that the rest of the girl will soon start filtering in after getting into their pajamas. You know you should tell them to go straight to bed, since you’ve got a game tomorrow, but you can’t. You’ve always had a soft spot for them and struggled to say no to them in moments like this.

------

The next morning, you have a quiet yet cozy breakfast with the team. Most of the girls are still too tired to feel the nerves of the upcoming game. You split your time between sitting with the players and the coaching staff, going over strategies and things you’ll have to pay attention to on the court.

At the gym, you do your usual game day ritual before checking up on the other girls. You give Aaliyah your extra arm sleeve when you see her rummaging through her bag with a frown. She doesn’t have to tell you what she’s searching for for you to know what’s wrong. When you see Nika nervously biting her nails, you walk over, handing her a strip of gum without a word. The tension leaves her body the second the minty flavor touches her tongue.

You play the game with your whole heart and soul. You shoot like your life depends on it, steal the ball like a thief in the night, and assist your team as much as you can. When a teammate goes down, you’re the first to reach them. To check that they’re okay or to simply lend a hand to help them up. Everyone plays amazingly. However, it’s not enough.

By the time coach Geno asks for the last time-out of the game, everyone is dead tired. The Huskies were good. Really good. But so was the other team. When you all huddle up, you see the exhausted faces of your teammates, hear their labored breaths, and feel the tension radiating off their skin. 

You barely hear Geno talking as you look at the shooters of the team. One of them will have to take the final shot. One of them will have to deal with the crushing disappointment of not being able to score the winning point if it goes wrong.

The coach pauses as he sees the look in your eyes. The moment you decide what you’re going to do, he knows too. You nod at him. “Give me the ball,” you say resolutely. Everyone’s head snaps your way as the words leave your mouth. “You might miss,” Paige says, not trying to make you feel bad, but not wanting you to have to deal with the weight of the final score. “I might,” you reply in a way that shows you’re not changing your mind. 

Everyone nods slowly before turning to Geno to listen to what he wants everyone to do. You clench your fists, jaw tight as you look at the floor. No matter what, you know every player did the best they could and that if you missed the shot, it would be okay in the end. However, that gave you little comfort at the moment.

When the final buzzer sounds, the Huskies’ shoulders sag as tears well up in the eyes of the younger players. 63-65 reads the final score. You weren’t able to make the basket. You try not to let the disappointment you feel show in your body language. You shake hands with the other team with a “good game”, you tell Jana her last layup was pure art, and you ruffle KK’s hair with a smile and a wink.

Most of the girls speed walk away when they see the media team appear. Nika doesn’t spot them soon enough before she’s asked to go to the pressroom. She sends you a desperate look that says “please don’t make me go alone”, which isn’t needed as you’re already walking over to join her. You’d rather sit in the locker room with the others than sit in a room with nosy jerks and flashy cameras, but you don’t want Nika to be alone.

The first questions are pretty civil and are aimed at your coach, so you spend your time keeping an eye on Nika and thinking of ways to make everyone feel better once you’re back home. When the first reporter to ask Nika a question starts talking, your head snaps up. The Croatian girl tries to answer to the best of her abilities, but halfway through her answer, her chin starts to wobble as her voice becomes shaky. 

The tears in her eyes barely have time to form before you take over. You reply to the question, your voice serious. Though UConn didn’t win, you speak proudly about the team’s playing. Noticing Nika picking her nails in the corner of your eye, you slide your hand into hers underneath the table without a word. Your speech doesn’t falter as she squeezes your hand tightly, like you’re the only thing keeping her tethered to earth. 

Once the press conference is over, you sling your arm around Nika and guide her to the locker room. The conversation inside is barely audible, only a few hushed voices being heard every once in a while. You head to the showers before getting changed into comfy clothes for the drive home. You then make your rounds.

You give some encouraging words to the crying players, hold an ice pack to Azzi’s knee, and give a hug to Paige, who looks like she’s holding the world on her shoulders. With every upset frown and sad pout that you’re able to turn into a smile, the weight on your chest lessens.

By the time you get into the bus, most girls have already somewhat recovered from the loss. Paige and Azzi are cuddled up near the back of the bus with lovesick smiles on their faces. Caroline is combing her fingers through the hair of one of the younger players, who’s smiling softly. Aaliyah is braiding Nika’s hair, and though both are silent, you can tell they’re okay.

The bus still feels uncomfortably silent, even with the soft chattering. Because it’s never this quiet. Not when KK is there. KK, the class clown, the prankster, the bright ray of sunshine. 

You make your way towards the back of the bus, where the young girl is lying down with a defeated frown. While the girl is usually the happiest one of the bunch, she also has days when she feels like she has failed everyone.

You tap her leg, telling her to move so you can sit. You don’t say anything at first, checking to see what she needs right now. You could give her a big speech on how everyone did their best and that next time, you’d win. You could offer her the stat sheet from the game, showing her that she played better than she’s ever done. Though you know none of that is what she needs right now.

“Hey,” you say softly as you knock your knee into hers. She looks over, barely being able to contain her tears. You can tell she wants to tell you not to bother. That nothing you say right now will make her feel better. So instead, you rummage through your bag and hand her a box. She frowns in confusion as she looks at it. 

“I’m thinking of getting a new tattoo,” you say, confusing her even more, since she was sure you’d try to make her feel better by giving a speech. “You wanna draw me one?” She lets her fingers trail over each marker as she shrugs. You give her your arm, telling her you were also thinking of getting your already existing tattoos colored in. Of course, you don’t really want them colored, but it’s a sure way to get KK’s mind off of the loss.

She starts drawing in silence at first. You just sit there, talking about small things that you saw throughout the week that reminded you of her and what video games you want to play with her. Before long, she’s quietly telling you about what happened in her favorite class and is making small jokes. You don’t expect her to become a ball of energy right away, but she doesn’t have to be. You just want her to be less sad.

Hearing KK’s voice and laugh makes the team look back towards the back of the bus. A soft smile is visible on everyone’s face as they see the interaction. The girl beside you doesn’t notice their looks, but you do. You send them a kind smile of your own, nodding as KK asks you something.

Coach Geno asked you if it was exhausting once. Being a good student, an amazing player (both on and off the court, when you help your team), and always taking care of your friends. You’d just shrugged. Of course, it was tiring. But so what? 

As you lean back in your seat, KK blabbering nonsense in your ear and the rest of the team scattered out in front of you with calm smiles on their faces, the only thing you can think about is how it’s all worth it. You wouldn’t trade this group for the world, just as they wouldn’t trade you for it. 

[bapeach]

Picnics and paintings

This is for the sweet people that asked for more Pazzi fics! Thank you guys for your support :)) Constructive criticism is always welcome :D Find my masterlist here :)

Pairing(s): Pazzi x female!reader Word count: 2.4k+ Summary: You and your girlfriends have a picnic in the park, where you all decide to paint something special. Your painting leaves everyone awestruck. ------------

You hear them walk in before you see them.

You catch Azzi’s light footsteps, followed by Paige’s tired shuffles. When the brunette spots you lying on the couch, your feet on the coffee table as you type away on your laptop, she smiles. Her eyes are tired, but her smile is bright.

You happily grin back as you put your laptop aside, asking how practice went. Paige immediately makes a beeline towards the couch, flopping down on top of you with a tired moan. You let out a laugh as you brush the baby hairs sticking to her face away. “Hey baby,” you giggle as she mutters something unintelligible into your hoodie.

The people’s princess walks over to you, leaning down to kiss your temple with a soft hi. You beam at her, grabbing her hand to give it a kiss. When she starts walking towards the kitchen to get herself a drink, you turn back to the blonde in your lap. “P, I love you… But you need to go shower, you reek,” you say, patting her head softly.

The older girl lifts her head up with a pout. “Why do you hate me?” she asks. You giggle again, “I don’t hate you, I just love you more when you’re not stinking up the place.” She groans but doesn’t move. 

You eye Azzi, silently asking her for help. She smirks as she shakes her head. After giving her your best puppy eyes, she rolls her eyes with a grin. “C’mon babe, you can cuddle with both of us after we shower.”

With a huff, the blonde gets up. “Okayyy,” she says, dramatically. Once she’s standing back up, an all too familiar glint flashes across her eyes. “Ya know, you could always join us?” She suggests with a coy smirk. Another laugh bubbles up in your chest. You shake your head. “Nuh uh.”

“C’mon, it’ll be quick,” she says, trying her best to persuade you. You raise an eyebrow in disbelief at Azzi in the doorway. “That’s what you said last time, and then we spent an hour in the shower and another few hours getting sweaty again.” Your cheeks turn red at the recollection.

Paige’s shoulders sag playfully. “Take her away, Az,” you say as you shoo them out of the living room. “Let’s go, P,” the brunette mumbles, taking the girl’s hand as she leads her to the bathroom. 

Knowing you’re not going to get a lot more work done while your girlfriends are around, you quickly finish up your essay before closing your laptop. Once you’re done, you walk over to the kitchen, pulling out some ingredients to make everyone a sandwich. 

Just as you’ve made everyone’s lunch just the way they like it, your girls walk out of the bathroom with stupid grins on their faces. You roll your eyes fondly, seeing the matching marks on each other's necks. “Seriously, Azzi? I thought you were better than this,” you quip playfully. “No one can resist me,” Paige smirks as she hugs you from behind, softly kissing your neck as well. “You wanna match?”

You push her away, slapping her arm softly. “You’re an idiot, you know that?” You reply, handing both girls their food. They don’t mention your red cheeks, but you can tell Paige is feeling smug.

Once everyone is done eating, you all migrate to the couch. Paige lies down in the middle as you and Azzi cuddle up to her. She draws lazy shapes on your backs as you inhale the pleasant scent of her vanilla soap.

“I was thinking…” you start. “Mmm, dangerous,” Paige jokes. You roll your eyes, pinching her side. She yelps, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” “Maybe we could go to the park later?” You continue as if nothing happened. “That sounds nice,” Azzi mutters, pushing a strand of hair behind your ear. “Yeah?” You say, looking up to see the other girl’s reaction. The blonde gives you that soft smile she reserves just for you and Azzi. She nods. “Sounds perfect.”

“Oh! Maybe we can have a little picnic! We can take strawberries, and chocolate, and juice, and…” You ramble on, not noticing the lovesick look in your girlfriends’ eyes. “Oh! Oh! Can we pleaseeee do one of those dates where we take painting supplies, and we paint each other?” You ask, sitting up with your eyes wide in excitement. “Dude! Yes!! Can we??” Paige says, equally enthusiastic.

Azzi straightens up with a stunned look. “First of all, ‘dude’? Really?” Paige gives her an awkward smile, mumbling an apology. “But yes, we can,” Azzi carries on. You jump up, clapping your hands ecstatically. “Okay, let me see what we still have around!” You shout, already running off to the kitchen to go rummage through the cupboards and cabinets. 

Paige follows you like a lost puppy as Azzi goes to look for art supplies in the bedroom. Not finding anything useful, she joins you both in the kitchen. “Did you guys find anything good?” She immediately walks over towards the taller girl, who’s already waiting for her with open arms. You show off your small haul before agreeing that you’ll need to stop by the store for more stuff. 

You quickly get ready, bouncing on your feet as you wait for your girlfriends by the door. You can barely contain your excitement when they stroll towards you. As you walk towards Paige’s car, you hold hands with them both. The blonde spins her keys around in her free hand as she walks, while Azzi uses hers to make gestures as she talks about a paper she read.

You plop down in the middle back seat of the car, leaning forward to be close to your girls. “Okay, art store first? That way we can go straight home after we get groceries to put stuff in the fridge.” Paige puts her thumbs up in agreement, starting the car and driving towards your first destination.

At the art store, you pick up a few different colors of paint, brushes, a few canvases, and some fun extras like glitter and stickers. You then pick up some fresh fruits, drinks, and snacks from the grocery store. As you head home, the sun starts shining brightly as the sky clears up. You can hardly hold back a squeal as you feel the blazing rays warm up your skin. 

Azzi goes ahead and puts away all the stuff you won’t need on the date, while you and Paige grab a basket and start adding everything you’ll need. You playfully slap the other girl’s hand as she steals a strawberry. She just grins, her mouth already a soft red from the juice. You can taste the sweet fruit on her lips as she pulls you in for a kiss. You don’t hear Azzi walk up behind you, too dazed by the blonde in front of you.

“Seriously, Y/N/N? I thought you were better than this,” she grins, repeating your earlier statement. Paige opens her mouth to say something cocky again, but she doesn’t get the chance to, as you and Azzi tell her to shut up. She gives you an offended look before continuing to put stuff in the basket.

Your eyes twinkle as you lean into Azzi, giving her a soft kiss as well. The older girl behind you scoffs, muttering a soft, “I always need to do all the work.” She raises her hands in apology (and to protect herself from getting slapped again), as you two give her a pointed look. “I’m kiddingggg, jeezzz,” she says, her eyes wide and her tone joking.

Once everything is packed, you all go get changed into more suitable clothes. You end up picking a cute pair of dungarees with your favorite shoes. Once again, you’re done before your girlfriends, so you sit down on the bed and watch them. You can’t wipe the enamored smile off your face as you stare at them.

Finally making it to the park, you skip ahead towards a nice, little spot, secluded from the view of most passersby, but still with beautiful scenery. Your girls follow a bit slower behind you, swinging their hands together as they walk. Paige whispers something in Azzi’s ear, making her cheeks become a rosy pink.

You set everything up, from the classic checkered picnic blanket to the matching wicker basket. You don’t immediately get into the paintings, instead choosing to talk about nothing in particular while sharing sweet treats. Once you start crafting, you tell both girls that they’re not allowed to look at your painting until it’s over.

Azzi agrees easily, while Paige pouts. “Fine, then you’re not allowed to look at mine either,” she says, sticking her tongue out playfully. Azzi laughs at both of your childishness as you do it back. The next few hours are spent in comfortable silence, with some soft mumbles here and there. You enjoy listening to the birds whistling in the trees and the little kids giggling in joy on the playset nearby. 

Your focus is fully on making the best piece of art you’ve ever made. You only get distracted once or twice, looking at one of your girlfriends and becoming awestruck. Azzi slightly frowns in concentration as she sketches away, while Paige’s tongue sticks out of her mouth, fully engrossed in what she’s doing. 

You think the blonde is doing pretty well, not looking at your painting, until you catch her trying to sneak a peek. “Hey!” You exclaim, throwing a paintbrush her way. She shrieks as she moves out of the way, only barely dodging it. “Children, children. Please, calm down,” Azzi says with a chuckle. You both mumble an apology before continuing with your painting.

When the sky becomes dusky, and the picnic basket is practically empty, you finally let out a satisfied exhale. “Okay, I’m done! Are you guys ready?” You say, looking up with a proud grin. Your lovers are already staring at you lovingly, having been long done but not wanting to hurry you up. “Ready when you are, love,” Azzi says softly, getting up from between Paige’s legs.

“Okay, you guys first!” You declare, bouncing in your seat as you impatiently wait for them. You and Paige immediately eye the brunette, who rolls her eyes playfully. She shows her painting wordlessly. “Oh,” you whisper, a small pout on your lips as you look at it. She drew this morning's scene. Both of you cuddled up to your older girlfriend. She didn’t give anyone faces, but you can still clearly tell who’s who.

You crawl over to her, grabbing her face and planting a soft kiss on her lips. “You’re amazing, you know that?” You mutter against her mouth. Her eyes twinkle when you pull back. You poke your finger against her dimple as you look at her. When you make your way back to your seat, your heart feels like it’s about to burst from happiness. 

Paige hesitates as it becomes her turn. “Ok, I know it’s not the best, but I think it’s pretty good,” she shrugs. You nod encouragingly as Azzi gives her a reassuring smile.

You gasp when you see the drawing. Holding your hand in front of your mouth in shock, you stare at it. You try to tell her how beautiful it is, but after one look at a barely-holding-it-together Azzi, you burst out laughing. 

Your sides hurt as you look at the blonde’s offended look. You try to tell her how nice it is between gasps, but it comes out incomprehensible. Every time you think you’re done laughing, the brunette beside you lets out a tiny snort, sending you over the edge again.

Once you finally calm down, you try to take the canvas, but Paige pulls it back with a frown. “No, you don’t get to see it anymore,” she grumbles. “No babe, please. I’m sorry. It really does look nice!” You defend yourself, but even you know it’s a losing battle. 

The painting isn’t bad per se. It’s a somewhat detailed drawing of you and Azzi, but she made the mistake of trying to add faces. Your smile is a squiggly line, while Azzi has one big eye and one small one. 

You glance at Azzi, communicating without words, before you both pounce on Paige. The brunette clings onto her like a koala, while you grab her face and place little kisses all over it. You don’t stop until the blonde pushes you both off with a beaming smile. She mumbles something about forgiving you both, but only with the promise of more cuddles.

You feel nervous jitters as it’s your turn at last. You tap the sides of the canvas anxiously, taking a deep breath before turning it around. This time, Azzi gasps, while Paige stops breathing. You bite your lip, giving them a tiny smile.

The painting shows the three of you walking in the park you’re currently in. You didn’t draw any of your faces, as you’re all moving towards the sunset. 

On the far left is Azzi, swinging hands with a young girl. The girl is maybe 5 years old and has her head tilted towards the brunette. Her eyes are closed as she grins widely. She has your smile. 

You’re walking next to her, a tiny girl resting on your hip. The kid is shyly looking at the viewer of the painting, most of her face hidden behind your shoulder. Her eyes are a bright blue, matching Paige’s. 

Finally, on the right, Paige is walking with a little girl of her own on her shoulders. You can’t see either of their faces, but the child has a head full of brown, curly hair, identical to Azzi’s. 

You give your partners a sweet pout as tears gather in their eyes. It takes a while before anyone finds their words. It’s Azzi who finally speaks first. “Y/N…” she mumbles, her voice slightly wobbly. You put the canvas down, crawling over to sit in between them.

They both scoot over, pulling you close. You give them both a soft kiss on the cheek, not bothered by their silence. You already know everything they want to say, without them having to say it. 

You stay in the park a little longer, watching the sky become a blaze of colors. Azzi is holding the canvas on her lap, gently tracing over everyone’s figure, while Paige stares ahead, daydreaming about the scene in the painting. When it starts getting colder, you wordlessly pack everything up, walking towards the car, slightly squinting at the sunset. 

You walk in the middle, Azzi on your left and Paige on your right.

[bapeach]

loved your pazzi fic girly do it again heheh :)

or a UConn team x reader

please 🙇🏼‍♀️

Thank you!!! :D

Your wish is my command 😌

I'll be posting a Pazzi x reader fic in a sec. I'm definitely also gonna post a UConn x reader fic in the next few weeks!!

[bapeach]

you should deff do more pazzi x readers especially ones where they are all in an established relationship already cuz the way you write it is so cute

Omg you're so sweet :( That genuinely means a lot ❤️

I'll be posting a Pazzi x reader fic in a couple of minutes :))

[bapeach]

Party of three - part 2

Part 2 of my last Pazzi fic! Didn't really know what to write but people wanted a part 2 so here we go! Hope it's alright :) Constructive criticism is always welcome :D Find part one here! Find my masterlist here :)

Pairing(s): Pazzi x female!reader Word count: 2.6k+ Summary: The morning after the legendary All-Star after party changes everything. Your unrequited feelings might not be so one-sided after all. ------------

Waking up, you don’t immediately open your eyes. You lie there for a moment, trying to figure out what’s going on. You feel warm and slightly sticky. Your mouth is dry, like you swallowed a few pounds of salt. The familiar drumming in your head lets you know you’ve had way too much to drink the night before.

You sigh softly, not wanting to get up yet. Not wanting to open your eyes and be blinded by the bright sunlight that’s no doubt streaming through the open gaps in the curtains. Though the air around feels a bit thick, you feel comfortable where you are.

Well, that is, until you wake up enough to take in your surroundings properly. The gentle breathing of a person behind you, mixed with the soft skin of someone’s arms around you, makes your eyes snap open. 

The bright sun rays flowing into the room make you close them again right away with a soft groan. You try not to panic too much as you mentally scold yourself for taking those extra shots with Nika, accepting that drink from Paige, and sipping from Azzi’s cocktail.

Wait.

A flurry of memories floods your head as you remember yesterday.

The way your body fit perfectly between the two taller players. The teasing words the blonde whispered in your ears as she gripped you tightly. The innocent, doe-eyed looks the brunette gave you while doing the least innocent things. The way they both took turns kissing you breathless once you got to your hotel room. The clothing items that left a trail from the front door to the king-sized bed. The way they set your skin fully ablaze until the early morning hours.

You can feel heat creep up your neck as you turn a bright red when the not-so-innocent moments linger in your brain. Opening your eyes, you take a look around, trying not to move so as not to wake the sleeping women beside you. A thin blanket covers your lower halves. You’re wearing a Dallas shirt that’s way too big for you. Azzi is wearing a see-through white dress shirt, and though you can’t see her behind you, you can feel Paige is wearing nothing but a sports bra and some boxers.

Your breath hitches as the blonde pulls you closer, mumbling something unintelligible into your neck. You wait a few moments, not wanting to wake her up, before you start wiggling your way free. Once you're almost out of her grip, Azzi cuddles up closer to you. You hold your breath, looking up at the ceiling with a deadpan look.

“Seriously?” You think to yourself.

It takes you another 10 minutes to finally get up. Once you've crawled off the bed, you pad over to the bathroom. You do your business before hopping into the shower to quickly rinse off the stickiness from your skin. Once you're done, you dry off, facepalming when you realize you forgot to grab clothes.

You brush your teeth in nothing but a big, fluffy towel. You also drink water from the tap like you haven't had water in days. Once you look somewhat presentable (minus the missing clothes, of course), you softly open the bathroom door and peek inside the bedroom.

Seeing both women still asleep, this time wrapped up in each other, you walk over to your suitcase to grab some comfy clothes. You walk back into the bathroom to get changed, even though the couple has clearly seen you naked the night before.

You try to do everything one step at a time in an attempt not to spiral. Yesterday was nothing but amazing. But what if they regretted it? What if this was something they just needed to get out of their system? What if you completely embarrassed yourself in your drunken haze? What if they couldn't even remember what happened and you have to explain why they're half naked in your bed? What if they hate you because they think you took advantage of them?

By the time you step back out of the bathroom, all the color has gone from your face. You kneel down in front of your suitcase, your back towards the athletes, as you rearrange some stuff to keep busy.

Maybe you should just sneak out? No. That wouldn't work. How would they have made it into your hotel room if they didn't come here with you? What if they thought your leaving meant you regretted it?

You're too far in your head to realize the couple has opened their eyes. Paige is leaning against the headboard, her arm slung around Azzi. She's drawing tiny shapes on the younger girl's arm as they both watch you. They both look at each other for a second, communicating with nothing but their eyes.

“You okay, Ma?” Paige's voice rings through the quiet room. Having not talked for a few hours and having shouted along to music a lot the previous day, her voice is raspy and low.

If you hadn't been so nervous, her voice alone would have reignited yesterday's heat in your body.

Your head snaps towards them, eyes wide as your brain goes blank. “Mhm,” you hum unconvincingly. You squint your eyes as you cringe at yourself. You stare at them both as they glance at each other once again. What you wouldn't do to know what they were thinking right now.

“We should talk,” Azzi says with a soft smile. You nod, scratching your arm nervously. “But first, why don't you order some room service while we hop in the shower? We can talk after,” Paige says, tilting her head as she looks at you. Heat pools in your stomach as her eyes stay locked on you.

“O-okay,” you stutter, nodding again. The sweet smiles they give you make you a little less nervous.

Azzi sits up a bit, rubbing her eyes. Paige stretches, groaning softly as her joints pop. The blonde is the first to get up and start walking towards a bag you hadn't noticed in the corner of the room. She takes out some clothes for herself and her girlfriend before casually disappearing into the bathroom.

Your eyes roam over her body, your throat going dry at the sight of her toned stomach and muscular thighs. She doesn't notice, but you look away like you were caught stealing nonetheless. That's when you make eye contact with Azzi. The older girl is smirking at you with a twinkle in her eyes.

You open your mouth to defend yourself, to apologize, to say something, anything. When the words don't form, you close it again with an awkward look. The brunette moving in front of you, makes you avert your eyes, staring at the floor like it's the most fascinating thing you've ever seen.

You don't notice Azzi walking towards you until her long, smooth legs halt in front of you. You still don't look up, not wanting her to see your bright red cheeks. A soft hand touches your face as she tilts it up.

She doesn't say anything, instead sweetly smiling at you as if to say it's okay. She puts a loose strand of hair behind your ear, letting her hand linger on your jaw for longer than necessary.

After another comforting look, she wordlessly disappears into the bathroom as well. You pause for a moment to calm your rapidly beating heart before getting up and walking over to the hotel phone. You order some breakfast for everyone, knowing perfectly well what they like after a long night of drinking from during your shared UConn days.

Once you hang up the phone, you flop back onto your bed with a loud exhale.

So. Yesterday wasn't a dream. You didn't die and go to heaven. This is all real. And from their reactions, they don't immediately regret it or hate you.

“Cool,” you think to yourself dumbly, still in disbelief.

You lie there for a while, staring at the ceiling as you think of what's going to happen next. You only sit back up when you hear the bathroom door creak, right as a knock sounds on the front door. You move to go get the food, but Paige stops you. “I've got it.”

You sit back down on the bed, crisscross applesauce, shuffling to lean against the headboard. Azzi perches down diagonally from you, leaving enough space for her girl to sit beside her. When the blonde returns, she places the food in the middle, sitting down so you're sitting in a triangle.

You don't talk much as you eat. You watch Paige and Azzi share some food with a small smile on your face. You grin widely as the brunette hands you some coffee with just the right amount of sugar and milk. You giggle as the Dallas rookie takes a sip from Azzi’s tea and scrunches her face up in disgust.

Once everyone has finished their breakfast, the mood becomes more serious. You nervously crack your knuckles as you wait for them to start talking. After another silent conversation between the two, Azzi starts talking.

“First of all, we want to say that we don’t regret what happened,” she starts. “And we hope you don’t either.” She leans forward, grabbing your hand with a soft squeeze. “It’s important that we’re all honest with how we feel,” Paige says, her hands twitching in her lap, like she’s trying not to touch you.

You nod in agreement. Your heart swells at the unbelievable sweetness of the women in front of you. “I don’t regret it,” you say softly, trying your best to hold eye contact. Your heart skips a beat as a beaming smile makes its way onto your crushes’ faces. Paige places a hand on your leg, gently rubbing your knee.

“Ever since we first saw you, we knew you were gonna be a big part of our lives,” Azzi says affectionately. “We didn’t know in which way at first, but we slowly started falling for you.” “It took us a while to admit it, to both ourselves and each other,” Paige continues. “We’d never really talked about what would happen if we fell for someone else, because we didn’t think it was possible.”

“But how could we not fall for you? When you were so sweet and adorable and funny…” The brunette takes over again. “Once we talked about it and agreed that we wanted to give us a shot, we started testing the waters. We loved seeing you get all flustered when we complimented you or when we would “accidentally” touch you.”

“We wanted to tell you, but we were also afraid. Afraid that this would ruin the good friendship we have. Afraid that maybe we completely misunderstood your affection for us.” Azzi nods as she looks at the talking blonde. “And then the end of my time at UConn neared, and we weren’t sure it was the right time to start something when I wouldn’t be anywhere near you both.” Azzi grabs Paige’s clenched fist, rubbing it comfortingly as the blonde looks down. 

“And then you pulled away from us,” the brunette says, her voice pained. “That’s when we really realized how much you cared for us. We wanted nothing more than to ask you to be ours that day you fell into our arms crying, but we also knew that wasn’t the time. So we waited some more, and we saw you start smiling more, start going on dates again, start enjoying university life again. And so we felt like we’d lost our chance.”

Paige starts smirking, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “But then we saw the way you were looking at us at the party. The way you couldn’t keep your eyes off of us. And then it was a no-brainer, really.”

Azzi’s smile returns to her face as she rolls her eyes at her cocky girlfriend. “The way you reacted to us, the way you accepted us, made us so happy… We really like you, Y/N. You perfectly fit in between us. It’s like we finally found a missing puzzle piece. So, if you want this too, we’d really like you to be our girlfriend.”

The All-Star player’s smirk eases into something softer. She subconsciously grips your leg a little tighter. Not in a way that hurts, but in a way that shows she’s hoping you’ll say yes. Hoping you’ll be theirs.

You don’t answer for a moment. Not because you’re hesitant or because you’re unsure. But because you’re struggling to believe this is really happening. How did you go from fangirling over them on the TV to having them ask you to be their girlfriend? To them asking to let them love you.

“You know, when we first met, I already knew who you guys were,” you start softly. “And I don’t mean in a way of ‘I looked up my future teammates”. I mean in a way where I’d already saved a bunch of TikTok edits about you guys. I’d seen every single one of your UConn games already, I’d seen the story about how you guys met, I’d even written about you guys in my diary,” you ramble, unable to stop yourself from embarrassing yourself.

You don’t look at them as you chatter away.

“At first, I didn’t know if I wanted to be you or be with you. But that quickly changed when butterflies filled my stomach every time you guys smiled at me or pulled me into a tight hug. I think I’ve liked you both since before we even met. I never thought I stood a chance. I mean, you guys are older and have a bond I’ve never seen before.”

You look up as they both give you a tiny squeeze. You shake your head to stop yourself from continuing your ramble. Taking a deep breath, you give them a smile. “I would love nothing more than to be your girlfriend.”

You’ve never wished you could freeze time as much as you do right now. The grin on the power couple’s faces is something you never want to forget. Paige can’t hold back a laugh bubbling in her chest. Azzi’s eyes are barely visible from the wide smile on her face.

You yelp in surprise as the blonde grabs you and pulls you into her, making her fall backwards on the bed with you on top of her. Her overwhelming excitement makes you and Azzi laugh as well. You’re too busy giggling with Paige to notice the brunette beside you take a picture of the two of you. You don’t learn about the picture until a few days later, when you see her phone light up, the picture glowing brightly on her lock screen.

You spend the rest of the morning/noon cuddling in bed, talking about everything and nothing. The dark blush on your face and the ache in your cheeks don’t bother you as your girlfriends tease you about how flustered you are around them. You slap Paige’s bicep as she makes a dirty joke about yesterday, making her send you into a fit of laughter as she tickles you. You beg Azzi for help, giving her your best puppy eyes. 

She smirks, letting you suffer for a moment before coming to your aid. The shocked howl the blonde lets out as Azzi starts tickling her makes you laugh harder than the tickling itself. Paige’s face turns a bright red, embarrassed at the noise she just let out.

You’re pretty sure you’ve gotten abs from all the laughter by the time Paige has to start getting ready for the game. You feel a pang of disappointment as you realize you have to say goodbye to the two until it’s time for the game, until Azzi gives you her signature smile. “You coming?” She asks as they get ready to leave.

You grab her outstretched hand with a grin. Of course, you’re coming with them. You’d follow them to the ends of the earth if you had to.

[bapeach]

Party of three

Inspired by the All-Star party and the Studbudz! Not my best work but I hope y'all enjoy nonetheless. Constructive criticism is always welcome :D Find part 2 here! Find my masterlist here :)

Pairing(s): Pazzi x female!reader Word count: 2.6k+ Summary: You join UConn to become someone and to play with the greatest basketball team of your time. You don't plan on falling for Paige and Azzi as hard as you do. ------------

You joined UConn two years after Azzi and Paige did.

You became a Husky for multiple reasons. One, UConn brings forth champions, and you want your name to be written in the stars. Two, coach Geno Auriemma is an absolute legend. And three, the team has amazing vibes.

Those are the reasons you give the media when they ask you why you committed here instead of another great school. You don’t tell them that you fell in love with Azzi and Paige the first time you saw them play on your TV. You don’t tell them that your favorite art is seeing the way the brunette shoots threes like it’s as easy as breathing. You don’t tell them that the kindness the blonde shows towards her team as well as opponents makes you want to break your chest open so you can hand her your heart.

When you first meet them in real life, your brain short-circuits. Azzi somehow looks even prettier than she does on TV. Paige appears taller and more intimidating, though you know she’s as sweet as honey. You introduce yourself with a stutter and a rapidly reddening face. They just give you a sweet smile, thinking you’re just nervous to be meeting your new teammates.

It takes you two weeks before you can talk to them without stumbling over your words or freezing up. They don’t mention it as they try to make you feel more comfortable in the team. You’re extremely grateful for that, but at the same time, you wish they’d be a little less… lovable.

How can you act normal around them when Paige softly explains the strategies you don’t understand with a kind smile? How can you act like your stomach isn’t swarming with butterflies when Azzi gently touches your waist as she corrects your form?

You've had your fair share of unattainable crushes in the past. A crush on a straight girl here, a crush on a woman too old for you there, but you've never been in this situation before.

You've never been this infatuated with anyone before, let alone two people. Two gorgeous women who are in a relationship with each other.

And you're happy for them both, really! If there was anyone that deserved each other, it was Azzi and Paige. The blonde is and always has been Azzi's biggest fan and greatest supporter, while the brunette has always been the one to be able to keep Paige grounded when she felt like she was floating away. 

But that doesn’t mean part of you didn’t wish they’d come knocking on your door one day to confess their undying love for you.

Sadly, life isn’t a fairy tale. Time goes on, and the couple thrives. It gets a bit easier to be around them. You’re able to push your romantic love for them aside and focus on being the best friend and teammate you can be to them. You push the angry bees in your stomach down whenever Paige playfully winks at you. You try to think of things that gross you out when Azzi’s cute giggles threatens to turn your cheeks a blazing red.

You’re too focused on trying to keep them from finding out about your crush to notice how they’re feeling. You wave off their lingering looks, their flirty comments, and their “accidental” touches because there’s no way they could like you back. Why would they want you when they already won the lottery with each other?

You spend your time at UConn as a single lady. You try to go on a few dates here and there, but no one manages to make your heart beat the same way the basketball couple does. After the fifth time Nika tries to set you up with someone, you start politely declining, saying you want to focus on basketball and your studies. You can tell she doesn’t believe you but lets it slide, seeing the uncomfortable look on your face.

Fast-forward a few years, and some of your closest teammates have left UConn. Nika is living her best life in Seattle, while Aaliyah is killing it in Washington. The 2025 draft has come and gone and taken away Paige from you as well. 

The day she left, you cried into her shoulder until you were a hiccuping mess. You could tell the blonde was barely holding it together herself, having to say goodbye to the family she’d been playing with for years. 

You remember her gently wiping away your tears with a soft look in her eyes that almost made you blurt out how you couldn’t stop thinking about her. How being near her made you feel invincible. How she’s the ray of sunshine on your darkest days.

You’re thankful Azzi showed up before you could confess. 

You didn’t talk to the blonde for days after she left. You avoided Azzi whenever you could. You did your best to stay away from them both because you almost ruined everything. It also felt wrong for you to be able to hang out with the brunette without her girlfriend there. You felt dirty for wanting to comfort Azzi as she cried because she missed her partner.

Not wanting to cause suspicion, you barely hung out with the rest of the team, too. With the basketball season being over, it was easy. You made up excuses as to why you couldn’t go out for lunch, had “headaches” during movie nights, and were “too sick” on days with hangouts at the mall.

The first time you spoke to them both again was when Paige returned to UConn after only being in Dallas for a couple of days. You didn’t know she was coming back, not having opened the Husky group chat, as you were too busy sulking. You only found out when there was a knock on your door and they both stood there with concerned, yet sweet, looks on their faces. You wanted to be strong. Pretend like you hadn’t been lying to everyone. Like you really had just been busy. 

Instead, you fell into their arms and cried.

Cried because you missed your favorite blonde, cried because looking at them both being happy together made your heart break, cried because you felt like you were betraying them by not being able to keep your feelings in check.

They just held you, rubbing small circles on your back as you sobbed. You were too busy feeling embarrassed to see the looks they were giving each other. You let them guide you to your bed, where they cuddled up close to you while you slept for what felt like the first time in days.

After Paige’s visit, you got better. You stopped feeling so sorry for yourself and instead focused on being the blonde’s biggest fan (besides Azzi) and the brunette’s most trusted shoulder to cry on. 

You go on more dates. A nice dinner with a boy from class. A sweet picnic with a girl on the hockey team. A pottery date with the funny barista at your favorite coffee shop. None of them make your heart skip a beat, but you don’t mind. You’re young, so you have plenty of time to find your person. 

You help Azzi surprise Paige by flying out to Dallas. You deliver flowers to Azzi from Paige. You smile when you walk into practice and see Azzi giggling on the phone. You send your favorite Pazzi edits to your shared group chat without feeling like you’re falling into a dark, endless pit. You even help the couple brainstorm silly ideas to come out to the public.

Your feelings for them don’t disappear, but they get more manageable. You can look at them both without fearing you’ll blurt out something you’ll regret. You can compliment them without getting scared you’ll get caught staring. You feel like you can finally be normal around them without gay panicking.

Well.

You did.

You could be chill until the WNBA All-Star after-party.

You’re laughing at something KK is saying, Nika’s arm slung around you as she chuckles at the younger girl. Hearing some commotion ahead of you, you look up and freeze. Paige and Azzi are standing there, wrapped up in each other's arms, as they talk to some other players. You can hear your heartbeat drum in your ears as your hands become sweaty. 

You can’t seem to look away from them, too entranced by how they look. Looking them both up and down, you swallow harshly. When you make eye contact with them, Paige sends you a wolfish grin, while Azzi gives you a knowing wink. You know you should look away as you’re getting into dangerous territory, but you can’t. You’re completely hypnotized by their beauty.

When they saunter over, you can tell they’ve already had a few drinks. Paige is leaning onto Azzi, being touchier than usual. The younger girl is slightly more composed, but you can tell by her blushy cheeks and wide eyes that she’s tipsy too.

“Hey,” they say in sync, their voices low and raspy from shouting along to the music. You don’t hear KK and Nika reply, too captivated by the gloss on Azzi’s lips and the dangly chain sparkling around Paige’s neck. You get pulled out of your daze when they walk closer to you.

“Come dance with us?” Paige asks, her voice husky. Though they both look at you questioningly, you can tell it’s not really a question. You nod, taking Azzi’s outstretched hand as they guide you to the dance floor. It feels like you’re dreaming. Like you’re just a floating speck of dust without a thought in your head.

You wonder if the intoxicated warmth you’re feeling is because of the alcohol you’ve had or because of how close you are to the older couple.

The music switches to a more sensual song, coloring your cheeks a dark red. You’re glad the red lights mask your blush, knowing you probably look like a tomato. Your breath hitches when Paige spins you around and pulls you close, her front against your back. Her breath tickles your ear as she speaks. “This okay, ma?” You nod, too shocked to speak. 

Her hands find your waist as she sways your body against hers. You follow her lead, checking Azzi’s reaction to make sure it’s okay. The brunette looks at you as she bites her lip. She sends you a seductive smile before turning around and leaning against you as she dances. Her hands come up, going behind your neck as she grinds against you. 

You’re pretty sure you’re dreaming. Or maybe you’ve died and landed in heaven?

You shake your head slightly. It doesn’t matter. You might wake up in your dark hotel room with a snoring KK beside you at any moment, but right now? Right now, you’re going to enjoy whatever this is.

At first your body is a bit stiff, but soon enough you relax into both girls as you dance with them. You can smell the dirty Shirley on Paige’s breath as you throw your head back and lean it against her shoulder. You can smell Azzi’s sweet perfume with a hint of sweat as she turns around and grabs your face, grinning like the Cheshire Cat. She mouths the lyrics to you, your eyes zeroed in on her lips.

The longer you dance, the freer you feel. You let yourself go completely, fueled by the warmth of their bodies, the sensuality of their movements, and the hungry look in their eyes. You have to hold yourself back from going completely insane as the Dallas rookie digs her fingers into your hips. “You don’t understand how long we’ve been waiting for this,” she growls into your ear. You gasp softly at her words.

After a few songs, some other players join you, making you calm down a bit. You look at Paige and Azzi, who are now sweetly holding hands like they didn’t just completely ruin your underwear. Seeing as they’re busy talking, you try to take your leave, but you don’t get the chance to. The second you turn around and take a step away, someone grabs your wrist and pulls you back. “Where’r you going, love?” Azzi purrs in your ear, quietly enough that only you can hear it.

“I’m gonna go get a drink,” you reply, as you bite your lip to stop yourself from smiling like a lovesick idiot. She hums lowly, her head leaning on your shoulder as she hugs you from behind. “Hmm, okay, but don’t stay away too long.”

You nod, not trusting your voice right now, as she lets you go. You walk over to the bar and order your favorite drink.  Softly tapping your fingers against the smooth surface, you try to calm your rapidly beating heart. You look to the side once you feel a body slide up next to you. You roll your eyes with a blush as you see the familiar smirk.

“I see why my date setups weren’t good enough for you,” Nika grins, her accent thick from the alcohol she’s had. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” you huff, hoping it’ll make her leave you alone. She bumps her shoulder into yours. “I think the building almost caught on fire because of the electricity between you three,” she mutters, thanking the bartender as he slides your drinks towards you. The Croatian bites the straw from her cocktail as she looks at you with a kind smile. “I’m happy for you guys, you know that, right? You guys are like sisters to me, and I just want you all to be happy.”

You roll your eyes in an attempt not to cry as you pull her into a hug. “I love you, Niks,” you mumble as you both rock back and forth. She lets you go with a soft laugh, “Okay, now let’s drink up before we cry away our makeup.” You grin, clinking your glass against hers as you lean back against the bar and look over at the crowd. 

Your lips curl into a wide smile as you see Paige joking around on the Studbudz livestream. You chuckle, knowing she’ll cringe at herself tomorrow when she sees the edits pouring in. The butterflies in your stomach have transformed into full-grown elephants stomping around, seeing the joy on her face as she sings along to the music.

You’re not quite sure where Azzi went, but you see her find her girlfriend again in the middle of their sing-along. Paige’s smile is bright enough to light up the whole room as she pulls Azzi into her arms. You’re pretty sure your chest is about to burst open at the sweet moment between the two. Seeing the love in their eyes as they sing the lyrics to each other is enough to make you a bit dizzy.

When their eyes find yours, you’re glad you’re leaning against the bar as your legs weaken. They continue singing, but this time, they sing to you. No matter the distance or the people passing between you three, their eyes stayed glued onto you. Paige points at you as she sings, swaying along to the music. They beckon you over without words.

Nika lets out a tiny laugh as she leans in closer. “Off you go, Romeo,” she teases, pushing you towards the couple. Once you join them, they pull you close once again, swaying your body against theirs, softly singing in your ears. They’re no singers by any means, but that doesn’t matter to you. This moment is perfect. They’re perfect.

None of you notice that the live stream is still pointed towards you, your face just hiding from sight. You don’t notice the thousands of comments streaming in, asking who the power couple is dancing with. You don’t realize that tomorrow, you’ll see thousands upon thousands of messages about Pazzi’s “mystery girl”. And even if you did, you don’t think you would’ve changed anything. Because you’re right where you belong. In between the women you love. In between the women that love you.

[bapeach]

My lucky charm

Enjoy! Constructive criticism is always welcome :D Find my masterlist here :) Pairing(s): Paige Bueckers x female!reader Word count: 1.7k+ Summary: When Paige doesn't get back up after hitting her head, you go into panic mode. ------------

You can feel your heart stop the moment she goes down and doesn’t get right back up.

You’re standing in the middle of your apartment, your hands cupping your mouth, the TV turned on to the Dallas Wings vs. Chicago Sky game. The camera is zoomed in on your favorite rookie, lying flat on her back, her hands gripping her head. You take a step closer to the screen, wishing you could step through it and be right beside the girl.

When you’d told Paige you wouldn’t be able to make it to her game but would definitely have it on at home, she’d playfully dropped to her knees. “Noooo, you have to be there, you’re my lucky charm!” She’d begged, giving you puppy eyes as she scooted closer on her knees, her hands clasped together like she was praying. You’d giggled, leaning down to kiss her, before pushing her over and walking away. “You’ll be fine for one game, just don’t go doing anything stupid like getting hurt.”

Now you were regretting not going, wanting nothing more than to hold the girl close and make sure she’s okay. 

You walk backwards, eyes glued to the blonde, as you bend down and blindly feel around for your phone. You quickly open it to Azzi’s contact, knowing the girl is at the game and will be able to give you a bit more information about what’s happening, but you don’t type anything. You can see Azzi’s worried face on TV as they carry your girlfriend off the court. You know she won’t look at her phone but instead be focusing on making sure her best friend is okay, so you put your phone back down as you bite your nails nervously. 

Once Paige disappears off screen, you sit back down with a long sigh as you rub your face in worry. You stop paying attention to the game, only keeping it on in hopes of hearing some news about your girl. When your phone dings, you immediately snatch it up. A small wave of disappointment goes through you as you see it’s a message from “Madam Secretary”. You open Nika’s text and smile a little as you read it.

Breathe babe. I’m sure she’s okay, she’s strong. Try not to think too negatively, it could just be a tiny bump on the head, but if not, you’re gonna have to be strong for her. You know how she gets when she can’t play. Is there anything I can do for you right now?

You take a few breaths as you try to do as she says. She’s right, there’s no point in imagining Paige with a concussion, or whiplash, or internal bleeding, or- No. You just have to believe she’s going to be fine. You type a quick reply before walking over to the kitchen and making yourself a cup of tea.

Thank you Niks, you always know what to say. I’ll be okay, just gotta wait and see what they say. I’ll text you when I know more. Love you!

As you wait for the water to heat up, you send Paige a quick “I love you, please be okay” before opening Google. You bite your lip as you look up all the different types of head injuries she could have. When you get to the more serious ones (that are highly unlikely but still freak you out), you slam your phone down. “Okay, stop, happy thoughts, happy thoughts.” 

You put a bag of chamomile tea in your mug and walk back over to the living room. You set your steaming cup down beside your laptop, your half-done essay long forgotten. Staring at the wall, you try not to imagine the worst-case scenarios until your phone dings again. The pit in your stomach slowly starts dissolving as you read Azzi’s message.

Paige is okay, she hit her head pretty hard, but she’s okay. She probably won’t be able to play the next few games, but she won’t miss much. She’s getting properly checked out now, once the game is over, I’ll drive her home. Try to relax a bit, yeah?

She’s okay.

You take a moment to let everything sink in, letting your stiff posture relax. You text Azzi back, thanking her for letting you know and being there for Paige, before sending Nika an update as well. Looking back at the TV, you see that the 3rd quarter has barely begun, so it’ll be a while before you get to hold your girl safely in your arms again. You bite the nail of your thumb as the gears in your brain start turning.

Quickly jumping up from the couch, you run over to grab your wallet and phone before running out of your apartment. Your steaming mug slowly grows cold, completely forgotten about as you leave. You stop a few doors down the hallway, rapidly knocking on the door as you wait for your neighbor, Benji, to open his door. Before he has the chance to say hello, you start rambling, “I need a ride, please. Paige got hurt, and I need to be home before she gets back here, but I wanna get her her favorite flowers from that cute shop we found.”

While you ramble, he’s already grabbing his jackets and car keys, steering you towards the stairs as he nods with a reassuring look. You let yourself be guided to the car as you explain what happened to your sweet girl. Once you arrive at the flower shop, you jump out of the car and run inside to grab the nicest bouquet you can find. You leave the store in record time, rushing to make another stop at Walmart for Paige’s favorite chocolate and the stuffed animal she always calls stupid, but can’t help lingering around when you both go shopping.

Checking your phone, you see that Paige texted a few minutes ago to say she’d be home soon, that she loves you too, and that she’s okay. You tell Benji to step on the gas, and he does as you say without hesitation. When you get back to your apartment, you give him a big hug, thanking him and telling him you’ll make it up to him. He tells you not to worry about it, ruffling your hair before walking back to his place.

You quickly put everything you bought on your coffee table, getting rid of your now freezing mug, before coming to a halt in the middle of the living room. You huff out a breath, taking a peek at the time, before pacing up and down the room, leaving a line of footprints on your carpet. You bite your nails nervously as you wait. Though Azzi reassured you Paige was fine, you still won’t fully relax until you can make sure she’s alright, yourself.

Too far into your head, you almost don’t hear the soft jingle of keys as the front door unlocks. Your head snaps to the door. Paige doesn’t get the chance to fully step into the room before you wrap your arms tightly around her. “God, you scared me so bad. Don’t ever do that again.” You mumble, your voice muffled against her hoodie. You breathe in the sweet smell of her shampoo lingering on her skin.

The blonde chuckles softly as she hugs you tightly. “I’m sorry, Ma, but I’m okay. I’m not allowed to play the next few games as a precaution, but I don’t have a full-blown concussion,” she replies before kissing your head and shuffling you backwards so she and Azzi can properly walk in.

You reluctantly let her go, but you don’t let her get far. Grabbing her face, you stare into her eyes to see if she’s speaking the truth. Her blue eyes shine in their usual mischievous way, making you finally relax. You lean up, giving her a soft kiss, before turning towards Azzi, who’s looking at you both with a soft smile. You quickly hug her too, thanking her for being there and taking care of your girl. “Of course,” she says, her velvety voice soothing you even more. She leaves not long after, knowing you and Paige have each other now.

Once the door closes behind her, you lead your girlfriend to the couch, showing her the things you bought her. Her eyes light up as she sees the chocolate, while a soft blush covers her cheeks at the flowers. When you hand her the stuffed animal, her mouth drops open before her lips curl into a small pout. “He’s so stupid,” she pouts, her eyes glistening a bit as she grabs its arms and rubs the soft fabric against her cheeks.

You grin at her, your eyes showing pure adoration. While she’s distracted, you take a quick picture of her, setting it as your new lock screen, before sending it to Nika to let her know Paige is home and okay. When you look up from your phone, the blonde is already looking at you with doe eyes. She motions you over, making you crawl into her lap as you rest your face in her neck. 

The taller girl rubs your back, making you sleepy after today’s scare. “I’m really sorry I wasn’t there,” you mumble as you draw shapes on her collarbones. “It’s okay, Ma, you’re here now, that’s all I need,” she rasps, her voice becoming husky at her sleepiness. “But… I told you so,” she says, a grin clear in her voice.

You lift your head up a bit to look at her. You tilt your head in confusion, making a strand of hair fall in front of your face. Paige carefully puts it back behind your ear. “Told you you’re my lucky charm, see what happened now that you weren’t there.” You roll your eyes as a smile forms on your lips. You lightly flick her forehead with a smile as you mutter, “Yeah, and I told you not to do anything stupid, idiot.”

You lean in to give her a kiss before settling back down against her chest. You continue drawing little shapes on Paige’s collarbones as she rubs your back. It doesn’t take either of you very long to fall into a comfortable nap, knowing that no matter what happens, you both have each other’s back.

[bapeach]

Guys, I went to my first pride parade today and it was so much fun!! I went with my friend, my dad, and my grandma and it was genuinely so nice. Even though it was really hot and I'm sunburned, I had a really good time.

It felt so freeing and kind of like being home. Seeing so many people be out and proud and unapologetically themselves was just so... I can't even find the words.

I saw some really cool people and wish I hadn't been too shy to compliment them. I would love to go again next year! It would be cool to meet some new people there too, but I fear my social anxiety will hold me back lmaoo.

[bapeach]

So, I got some ideas for future stories, but I wanna know which one you guys would be interested in reading first. I'm gonna try and post the first fic in the next few days.

[bapeach]

Absolutely disgusted with the Valkyries' management right now. Julie Vanloo, who just became a European Champion for the second time in a row, just got waived by her WNBA team.

She flew back to America right after the EuroBasket, missing out on celebrating with her team, her friends, and her family, as well as missing out on a beautiful celebration in Belgium, where they got to meet the king.

The fact that she got waived without warning is genuinely unacceptable. Instead of being able to celebrate this amazing win, she'll now have to deal with the fact that she got waived.

She deserves so much better!

[bapeach]

Fast break feelings

Sorry for not posting much lately, writing hasn't been easy. So here's a short and sweet story, hope y'all like it! Constructive criticism is always welcome :D Find my masterlist here :)

Pairing(s): Paige Bueckers x female!reader Word count: 1.5k+ Summary: Paige, the confident superstar on the court, gets shy when her crush is near.

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

When you first met Paige in your human development class, you thought she was cute in a platonic way. She’d walked into class looking incredibly cozy in a lilac sweatsuit with her matching purple glasses, with a soft smile and sleepy eyes. Even though she was the most famous girl in school, she didn’t act like she was better than anyone. You never really cared for sports but still thought it was cool that the blonde was bringing a lot of attention to basketball. She seemed like she deserved the praise too.

Paige walked over to her assigned seat next to you, giving you a tiny nod, her lips relaxed into a small smile. You smiled sweetly at her before focusing your attention on the professor. While most classes started with lame icebreakers, this professor didn’t care about them and instead simply started teaching. Meaning Paige didn’t learn your first name until a few weeks into the school year, after many small nods and smiles and a few “Can I borrow a pen?” moments, when you were put into pairs of two for a project. 

“Hi, I’m Paige, by the way,” was the first thing she said as she turned towards you and held out her hand. “Oh, I know, Superstar,” you’d grinned with a playful twinkle in your eye. “I’m Y/N.” Though you didn’t realize it back then, that handshake marked the start of the slowly growing crush between you two.

Quiet study sessions in the library turned into movie nights in the comfort of your dorm, cuddled up together (in a friendly way) on your couch, your hearts starting to beat as one. 

---------

While Paige exudes confidence and charisma on the basketball court and in front of cameras, she’s pretty shy in person. Whereas she prefers peaceful nights in, you shine the brightest on a night out in the club. You don’t mind her shyness, though, you actually think it’s kind of sweet. You love seeing her cheeks turn a soft pink as she fumbles over her words when you give her a tight hug. Seeing her turn away with a flustered smile as you compliment her with a flirty wink always sends butterflies through your stomach. 

It didn’t take long for you to realize you have a big fat crush on her, and once you did, you quickly noticed the blonde’s crush as well. Now, you could’ve just asked her out on a date, but where’s the fun in that? Instead, you up the flirty comments, the lingering touches, and the doe-eyed “I’m so in love with you” looks. During binge marathons, you cuddle Paige a bit closer, at lunch, you plop into her lap without batting an eye, and the selfies with cheeky comments you send her get a bit riskier every time.

While the athlete usually runs her mouth and talks trash like her life depends on it, she can barely give a compliment without stuttering or doubting herself. She’s also one of the most clueless people you know. You flirt with her like there’s no tomorrow for 2 weeks before you grow impatient and pull out all the stops. 

You’re walking next to Paige as you make your way out of your class. You listen to her ramble about her latest practice before linking your pinky with hers. The blonde gets tongue-tied at the unexpected touch, looking at you with her eyes wide. You give her a sweet smile as you nod at what she’s saying. Heat creeps up her neck and turns her ears red as you tilt your head innocently.

You pull her to the side of the hallway, out of the stream of students, before pulling out a small mirror and reapplying your lip gloss. You take your time, watching Paige out of the corner of your eye as her eyes dart to the shine on your lips. She bites her lip for a moment before standing up a bit straighter.

“Gotcha,” you think as you try not to smirk.

“Hey, so, uh, I was thinking that, uh… Maybe, if you want, we could go to, like,… a restaurant or something?” Paige stammers as she scratches her neck. Her face turns an even brighter color as she realizes how stupid she sounds. You bite your lip as you try not to laugh at her struggling.

“You want to go get food right now?” You ask, batting your lashes at her, pretending you don’t know what she means. You know you shouldn’t tease her too much and just be glad she finally got the courage to ask you out, but you can’t help it. Seeing this nervous version of her is just too adorable to just let go.

“No, I mean, like… We should get dinner sometime… Just the two of us… together.” You watch her throat as she swallows nervously. “What, like a date?” You ask as you try to catch her eye. Paige pauses for a moment, her eyes trained on the floor, before she shakes her head with a frown.

“I-... You know what, never mind… I need to go,” she says before quickly stepping away from you. You reach out your hand to pull her closer again, but you don’t get the chance as she disappears into the crowd passing by. “Paige, hold up!” You say, but it’s too late. You facepalm softly before letting out a tiny laugh. How can she be such a big, tough basketball player, yet also such a sweet, shy girl? How can she be so brilliant on the court and in school, yet still be such an oblivious idiot when it comes to you?

When you text the blonde later that night to ask if she wants to come over for a movie night, she declines the invitation with the excuse of having a lot of homework. You shrug it off, knowing that the girl has a habit of leaving her work until the last minute. When Paige is “too busy” to hang out for the 5th day in a row, you’re done with her lies.

You plan on going straight to her dorm after class when you see her walking ahead of you in the hallways. You speed up a bit until you’re right next to her before bumping your shoulder against hers. The taller girl immediately turns towards you to apologize (even though you bumped into her) before realizing it’s you. The color immediately drains from her face as she looks around for an excuse to get away.

“There you are! I haven’t seen you in ages. You left mid-convo last time I saw you,” you say as you playfully roll your eyes, but you make sure to give her a big grin. “Yeah, sorry ‘bout that,” she mumbles as she quickens her step. You simply loop your arm around hers as you bring her back to your speed. “So… when and where?” You casually ask, leaning even more into her personal space as you move out of the way for another student. 

“I- What?” Paige asks, her breath hitching as the smell of your perfume enters her nose. “You wanted to get dinner, right? Or do you not want to anymore? I mean, that would be fine, but if you do, I’d really love to go,” you reply calmly, holding eye contact so she knows you mean it. “Wait, you really wanna go?” She asks, an excited but slightly unsure grin forming on her face as she looks down at the strings of her hoodie. “What, like a date?” You repeat the question you asked a few days ago. 

The blonde’s eyes snap towards you, a small huff leaving her lips once she sees your teasing smile. She rolls her eyes before bringing you both to a stop in an empty corner. “I can’t tell if you’re messing with me or not,” she mumbles, chewing nervously on one of her hoodie strings.

You lean up, pulling the string out of her mouth and straightening her hood. “You’re always so nervous around me…” you sigh softly, staring at the cords as you twirl one around your finger. 

“It’s just me,” you reassure her in a low voice. “Ask me again.” Once you look back into her bright blue eyes, Paige swallows once before speaking, “Y/N… Will you go on a date with me?”

You give her a loving smile as you reply, “I’d love nothing more, P.” You lean forward, getting on your tippy-toes, as you press a small kiss against the blonde’s rapidly reddening cheek. You don’t tease her this time, instead grabbing her hand and pulling her back into the hallway as you guide her towards your dorm. You don’t have to look at her to know her eyes are sparkling and her bottom lip is stuck between her teeth as she tries to hold back a big smile.

As your hands swing between your bodies, you ramble about a new show you found that you two just have to watch, making Paige realize she’d been so nervous for no reason. When you make eye contact with her, you simply wink at her like this is the most normal thing in the world.

[bapeach]

LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO BELGIUM!!!!

Gonna try to post another story soon, I promise! Writer's block has been kicking my ass. But anywho, have any of you guys been watching Eurobasket?

If so, who were/are y'all rooting for? I'm cheering for the defending champions (Belgium)!

Tomorrow is the final game, Spain vs Belgium. And I'm very excited to watch!

Also, which players do you think played amazing/were your favorites? Of course, I love every Belgian player, but I think Emma Meesseman especially has been doing an incredible job, as always!

[bapeach]

Gonna try to post another story soon, I promise! Writer's block has been kicking my ass. But anywho, have any of you guys been watching Eurobasket?

If so, who were/are y'all rooting for? I'm cheering for the defending champions (Belgium)!

Tomorrow is the final game, Spain vs Belgium. And I'm very excited to watch!

Also, which players do you think played amazing/were your favorites? Of course, I love every Belgian player, but I think Emma Meesseman especially has been doing an incredible job, as always!

[bapeach]

Why in all your Nika fics, the reader is like so much taller than Nika?

No hate btw! Just asking!

No idea, it just happens I guess? 🤔 I feel like most of the characters I write just give off tall vibes, even though that might not fit every reader.

I just prefer writing x reader stories with Y/N, because I've read some stories where I just really didn't like the name the author picked for a character. So this way, readers can choose whichever name they like :)

If it depends on which player the story is about, feel free to let me know for which players you prefer to be taller/shorter, and I'll see if I can write more to match y'alls preferences.

You can also let me know if you prefer the reader character to be a bit more on the masc or fem side! I can't promise I'll write them that way, but I can try :))

[bapeach]

Whenever I write a story, I barely ever plan to write a part 2, but I often get the request to write one (which is awesome, thank you guys a lot :D).

The thing is, I'm pretty busy and often don't have any ideas for a part 2 right away, which means it might take a while before those get posted.

So, my question is: do y'all still care about part 2s when it's been a while (like a month or longer), or not?

[bapeach]

My best friend's sister

Sorry for being gone for ages, writer's block is kicking my ass. Hope you guys enjoy the story! Constructive criticism is always welcome :D Find my masterlist here :)

Pairing(s): Nika Mühl x female!reader  Word count: 3.4k+ Summary: Falling for a straight girl is never easy, especially when said girl is your best friend's older sister. But the heart wants what the heart wants, doesn't it? ------------

Having a crush on a straight girl sucks. Having a crush on your best friend’s older sister sucks. Having a crush on your best friend’s older sister, who is as straight as an arrow? Now that’s just hell.

Nika Mühl is the prettiest girl you’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. The moment you first saw her, you were awestruck. You still remember it like it was yesterday. You were 7, a year younger than her sister, Hana, when you first went over to the Mühl residence.

You met Hana on the playground by the big playset. You were sitting on one of the swings by yourself, not really having any friends to play with, when she came up to you. You were fairly shy, and the fact that she was a year older and quite a bit taller didn’t help you feel any less intimidated. That was until she gave you a big smile, one of her front teeth missing, as she introduced herself.

From that moment on, you two were glued together at the hip, never straying far from the other. It was always Hana and Y/N this or Y/N and Hana that. At some point, you even started reacting to each other's names, seeing as many people didn’t know which one of you was which. Hana was your best friend and fiercest protector, always defending you when other kids made fun of you for how scrawny you were and how you were “just a little baby” (though they were only a year older). Meanwhile, you were Hana’s best friend and greatest support, always encouraging her biggest dreams and helping her with school (being a genius had its perks).

So it didn’t really take long for you to be invited over to the Mühl house for a playdate. You’d only been there for a few minutes, giggling with Hana, while your parents talked to the Mühls, when you saw her.

Nika Mühl.

Your mouth dropped open at the sight of her. She looked like a princess. Her big eyes pierced yours as she introduced herself. And just like that, her voice became your favorite sound. Of course, being 7, you didn’t really know about love or being gay, but you knew one thing. You wanted to marry Nika and hold her hand like your mommy and daddy always do. It only took one glance for your parents to realize you had a crush on the older girl, and they thought it was the sweetest thing ever.

Naturally, your crush didn’t go anywhere throughout the years you spent hanging out at the Mühl household. It actually got a lot worse. As you got older, your feelings became stronger. Nika made your heart beat out of your chest with just a look, made your palms sweaty when she gave you a quick smile as she walked past you, and made your throat dry when she talked to you.

She’s known about the crush you’ve had on her since day one, but she never felt the same way. At first, she was embarrassed about it, but as she got older, she realized you couldn’t help it, and she found it kind of sweet. If she wasn’t straight, she might’ve even liked you back. You were a bit nerdy, always having a book in your hands and your glasses perched on your nose. You were pretty short and shy, and you seemed to have permanent red cheeks when she was near.

Nika actually really liked you as her sister’s best friend. You were kind, respectful, supportive, helpful, funny, and smart. She knew her sister would always be safe and wouldn’t do anything reckless as long as you were by her side. The two of you might’ve been great friends too if you weren’t 2 years younger and a stuttering mess in her presence. She still remembers the night you helped her with her homework fondly (again, being a genius had its perks).

Nika had been struggling with her math homework and was about to just call it quits when you walked into the dining room. Hana had fallen asleep during the movie you two were watching, so you figured you’d go ask momma Mühl if she needed help with anything. Seeing the older girl’s frustrated look, you’d padded over and asked her if something was wrong. After she’d explained her math problems, you’d sat next to her and explained what she was doing wrong and had given her some tips. You’d stuttered your whole way through it, but you did it with a smile on your face.

Nika hoped that when she left Croatia and went to UConn, your crush on her would fade away. She wanted you to like someone who would love you the way you’d loved her for years. You deserved that. Sadly, the heart wants what the heart wants, and yours still sings for hers. You don’t think that’ll ever change.

You, however, did change.

In the year she didn’t see you (somehow always missing you during visits or FaceTimes), you’d completely changed the way you look. Gone were all your cartoon-themed shirts, the nerdy glasses, and your braces, all replaced by a new you.

You’d dyed your hair (black with white strands underneath), pierced your nose, gotten a subscription at the gym, built up quite the muscle, and you’d finally gotten your growth spurt! You were now taller than Hana, something you loved teasing the older girl about. Your confidence had grown significantly throughout the year, and you could finally say that you liked the way you looked.

Now, you were a 17-year-old, hot genius, about to join your dream college, and you couldn’t be happier. It took a while to make your parents realize that you really did want to join UConn and weren’t just following the girl of your dreams, but in the end, they supported your decision.

Saying goodbye to Hana was one of the hardest things you’d ever done, but you both promised that the distance wouldn’t break your friendship. You’d joked about how you’d always be close, seeing as you’d be sisters-in-law one day, which only made her laugh and give you a push.

After your tearful goodbyes, you’d gotten on the plane, and now here you are, settling into your dorm. The flight had completely wiped you out, so you go straight to bed after letting everyone back home know that you made it to campus safely. When you wake up a few hours later, you get ready for the day, hoping to get some exploring done before classes start in a few days. You’re brushing your teeth when you hear your phone ding.

“Hey baby! Nika is having lunch with her team later, and she’ll be expecting you! Have a good day and give her a tight hug for me, will you?” The message reads. Your heart swells at the message from Roberta, the woman that basically became your second mother. You send her a quick reply before looking up the address she sent you.

Seeing that it’s only a 20-minute walk away, you take your time getting ready. You don’t expect Nika to suddenly like you now that you look different, but that didn’t mean you weren’t going to look your best. Once you’re happy with your outfit, you spritz on some perfume and leave your dorm. You make it to the restaurant 22 minutes later, having only taken a wrong turn once.

Entering the building, you look around to see if the Croatian girl is already there. You don’t see her, but you do spot a big group of athletic girls. “The Huskies,” you think to yourself as you walk closer and start recognizing them from on TV. Once you’re a few feet away, you start talking. “Hey! You guys are the UConn basketball team, right?” You ask the girl you recognize as Paige. “Uh, yeah, what’s up?” She says with a tiny smile, the girls around her quieting down when they realize you’re there.

“I’m Y/N… A friend of Nika’s, I was supposed to meet her here.” You reply as you scratch your neck. “Wait... Y/N?” Azzi says as she looks you up and down. “Mhm,” you hum, a little confused as to why everyone is now looking at you with a confused look of their own. “You don’t look like a nerd at all!” Paige blurts out before slapping a hand over her mouth, her eyes wide. Some girls facepalm, while others give the blonde a stern look.

You don’t say anything for a moment before letting out a loud laugh. “I’m so sorry,” Paige says as she looks at you horrified. “It’s okay, last time Nika saw me I looked like a total loser, I’m glad I don’t anymore,” you chuckle. (A/N: Nerds are hot, not losers) The basketball player looks as though she wants to say more, but she doesn’t get the chance to when Nika barges over.

She’s standing behind you to the right and hasn’t seen who you are yet, probably thinking you’re the waitress when she starts talking. “Okay, guys, apparently my mom invited Y/N to have lunch with us, and she’s gonna be here any minute now. I really need you guys to be nice! She’s a bit of a dork, but she’s really sweet once you get to know her. She’s had the biggest crush on me since she was 7, so if she looks at me all love-eyed, please just let it go and don’t tease her about it.”

You grin as you hear her talk, already planning on teasing her about how she’s trying to make sure you’ll have a good time. You try your best to hold in your laugh as you look at her teammates, trying to motion to her to stop talking, but the brunette is too busy rambling to pay them any mind.

Once she’s done talking, you say, “Aww, you think I’m sweet?” as you turn towards her. Realizing it’s you and not some random girl, Nika’s mouth drops open as the color drains from her face. The color doesn’t stay gone for long, however. As she looks you up and down, her cheeks become a flaming red color (a shade darker than the blush you’re sporting).

“Y/N?” She says with her eyes wide. “Hey, Nikki,” you respond with a gentle smile. You can tell she’s in shock at how different you look and isn’t quite sure what to say, so while she gathers her words, you take her in. Though it seems impossible, the older girl has gotten even prettier in the time she’s been away. Of course, you’d watched every single one of her games and interviews, but the cameras didn’t do her justice.

“I didn’t recognize you! You look… different… I mean, good! Good different! I mean, not that you didn’t look good before!” She starts stammering. You grin as she starts muttering in Croatian, seemingly forgetting you’re fluent in the language, having been around Americans for far too long. You catch an “Oh my God, shut up” as you bite your lip to stop yourself from laughing.

You clear your throat a little before replying, “Thank you! You look beautiful, as always. Now, your mom told me to give you a big hug for her, and you know I can’t say no to momma Mühl.” You open your arms but don’t take a step towards her, letting her take the lead. Once she wraps her own arms around you, you give her a tight squeeze, hoping she can’t hear your heart go crazy.

Nika lets you go after a moment, but she doesn’t go far, taking her time to really look at you. You were towering over her now, with a jaw that could cut glass and a smirk that could make even the straightest girl in the world weak in the knees. “You grew,” she says stupidly. “I did,” you say with a sly smile, not commenting on how off-kilter she is.

Paige coughs quietly, making you both remember you’re not alone, a knowing smile on her face. “Alright then, come sit, and let’s order,” she says. “Yeah, I’m starvinggg,” KK huffs. You sit down next to Paige as Nika takes a seat in front of you. After everyone has ordered, the team’s blonde menace turns towards you. “Okay, Y/N, imma need you to give us all the embarrassing stories you have of my twin.”

You give her a big grin, opening your mouth to reply when Nika speaks up, “Absolutely not, Y/N you better not.” You look at her for a few seconds, pretending to debate if you should ignore her warning or not, before turning back towards the rest of the team. “Sorry guys, you heard her.” “Aww come onnnn,” Paige whines, giving you her best puppy dog eyes. You give her a wink, mumbling a “later” behind your hand as if Nika isn’t within earshot. The brunette huffs quietly as she rolls her eyes, her lips twitching up a bit in amusement.

During lunch, conversation flows easily as you immediately feel at ease with the athletes. At some point, you choke on your drink from laughter as KK does a dramatic retelling of one of Nika’s most embarrassing moments. The girl in question hides her face in her hands as she turns a bright red, groaning as she tells the younger player to shut up. You don’t immediately notice the way your crush keeps glancing at you whenever you look away.

You do notice the shit-eating grin on Paige’s face, however. You raise an eyebrow at her in silent question, but the blonde simply shrugs as her smirk grows. After you’re done eating, you plan on taking your leave, but before you can say goodbye, Azzi starts talking. “Hey Y/N, since you’re new here, do you want a tour?”

You glance at Nika, hesitating, not wanting to bother her, but when you see her looking at you hopefully, you turn back to Azzi with a grin. “Yeah, sure, sounds nice!” KK jumps up from her chair as she yells, “I’m coming too!” Everyone chuckles at her reaction before saying their goodbyes and parting ways. Paige, Azzi, Nika, and KK hang back with a smile to give you a tour.

During the tour, you get to know the girls a bit more, laughing to yourself as you find out they’re exactly what you expected. KK is a ball of energy, always bouncing around and sassing everyone and everything. Paige is a jokester, always teasing everyone with that signature smirk of hers. Azzi is the eye of the hurricane, a calming presence in the midst of chaos, yet someone who’s not afraid to dish out a playful insult. And of course, you already knew what Nika is like, and while she has changed in some aspects, she still holds your heart in her hands.

After the tour, your sides hurt from laughter, but your chest feels a lightness you haven’t felt in a while. “We should go play some basketball!” KK says when the basketball facility comes into view. “Yeah, let me break your ankles, Y/N,” Paige grins at you. Azzi rolls her eyes with a small smile of her own. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to, Y/N. You’re probably exhausted from your trip.” You give her an appreciative smile. “Thanks Azzi, but I can’t let Blondie over here talk shit like that. Bring it on, Boogers.”

KK starts oohing as Paige sends you a challenging look. “You play ball? Twin didn’t mention that.” “I’ve not once seen you play basketball, let alone hold a basketball,” Nika says with a grin, her cheeks becoming a soft pink when you wink at her. “I’ve had some practice since you’ve been gone. Hana forced me to play one-on-ones with her after her favorite opponent decided to move to America,” you say with a playful eye-roll.

Though you were nowhere near their level, you were able to keep up pretty well with the Huskies. The first match, you spent watching Azzi and Paige go up against KK and Nika, playing referee when needed. Your eyes flitted across the court, taking in their individual playing styles, as well as memorizing their movements and patterns. The twitch of someone’s nose when they attempt to break someone’s ankles, the grin before a no-look pass,...

When it’s your turn, you high-five Azzi as you join her team, laughing as you see KK jump on Paige’s back, yelling something about how “Double Trouble” was going to destroy you. During the match, you’re able to score a few points and even steal the ball away from Paige. The steal shocks the blonde into forgetting to run after you as you sprint away to make a nice layup. You feel KK jump on your back as she screams in your ear, seemingly not caring that you’re supposed to be her opponent.

When you glance to the side, you see Nika staring at you with a look you don’t recognize. Your cheeks darken at the attention, but you send her a wide grin. She quickly looks away, rose-cheeked with a tiny smile. When you look away, Paige comes into view, the same smug smirk on her face as the one from earlier. She gives you a wink that you’re sure has some underlying meaning, before she gives you a pat on the shoulder.

Though you didn’t win the match, you did have a lot of fun. For the last match of the evening, you get paired with the blonde menace as you stare down Nika and a bouncing KK. You silently wonder how she still has so much energy as you send Azzi an amazed look. The girl chuckles softly as she nods as if to say, “Yup, that’s KK for you.”

You’ve always known Nika is amazing at defense. She didn’t get the nickname “Secretary of Defense” for no reason, after all. But seeing her in action never failed to amaze you. The way she stuck to her opponents like glue, never letting anyone get very far. You didn’t fail to notice how differently she guarded you, however. The way she touched you a bit more hesitantly, cheeks a flaming red (which you don’t think is from all the running), the way her breath hitches whenever your hands glide past her waist.

When Paige passes you the ball, you lean forward, dribbling the ball between your legs with a smirk. “You okay? You look a little flushed,” you say with more confidence than you actually feel. Nika starts stuttering a reply when you do a quick step back, letting the ball soar out of your hands and into the hoop. “Woooo! Nice one, Y/N!” Azzi cheers you on from the sidelines. KK screams in joy at the unexpected three-pointer as she sprints up and down the court, bumping her chest into Paige’s, sending them both scrambling to regain their balance.

When you look back, Nika is bent over, regaining her breath. You hear Azzi mumble something about getting everyone some water as she motions at Paige to follow. You immediately realize what they’re doing as you smile to yourself. “KK, race you to the vending machines!” Paige yells as she darts away. The younger girl shouts back at how the blonde is cheating, but she runs after her anyway. The more mature girl among them chuckles as she jogs after the two girls.

You take a step closer to the Croatian as she straightens up again. “So? Not bad, eh?” You ask as you scratch your head. She doesn’t reply right away, instead taking you in for a moment. “You’ve changed a lot,” she says softly. “I have,” you nod, “but don’t worry, not everything has changed.”

You wink, trying to defuse some of the tension hanging in the air, but also letting her know you’ve not given up on her yet. You expect her to laugh it off with an eye roll the way she used to, but she ends up leaving you dumbfounded instead.

“Good,” she replies with a teasing yet soft smile before walking away towards where she knew the other girls were. You stand there for a moment, jaw dropped, as you try to comprehend what just happened. Did she just… flirt with you?

You look around for a moment, as if to see if anyone caught that, before shaking yourself out of your shock and jogging to catch up with her. You don’t say anything, and neither does she, but you feel that your relationship has changed after today, and you can’t wait to see how it will continue to change.