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[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.

[bapeach]

Senior day - part 2

Thank you guys so much for the support on the last story! It means so much to me :) Constructive criticism is always welcome :D You can find part 1 here. Find my masterlist here :)

Pairing(s): Paige Bueckers x female!reader  Word count: 2.2k+ Summary: You're finally about to propose when you get a surprise of your own. ------------

You’ve known you’ve wanted to propose to Paige for a long time. The ring in your pocket has been in your possession for a few months, waiting for the perfect moment to be used, but you’ve planned to marry your girl a lot longer than that. When you think about it, you don’t believe there was ever a time when you didn’t intend to marry her. You’ve imagined Paige dressed in a beautiful white suit, standing below an arch of flowers, slightly teary-eyed at seeing you walking down the aisle for almost your whole relationship.

When you first met the ball of energy you have the pleasure of calling yours, you knew right then and there that she was going to be an important figure in your life. Her bright blue eyes twinkling in the gym lights, the easy smile that’s always resting on her lips, her confident posture that makes it seem like she owns the world… 

You’d fallen in deep before she’d even said her name, and when she did, it’s like she tattooed it right onto your heart. After the introductions, you two got partnered up to run some drills, and you immediately knew you were a goner. Her teasing comments that made your heartbeat quicken, her mischievous grin that made you stumble over your words, the sweet compliments that turned you into a blushing mess…

When you went to bed that night, you dreamed of a white suit, beautiful flowers, and sparkling blue eyes.

But today is the day. You’ve been in the WBA for a year now, and Paige is about to graduate, so now seems like the best time to propose. You’ve always wanted to get married in the spring, near the beginning of summer, but at the end of the day it doesn’t matter, as long as you get to be with the woman you love. 

You daydream about married life for a while and don’t notice Paige walking into the room until she’s waving her hand in front of you with a dopey grin on her face. “Hmm? Did you say something?” You ask, shaking your head, trying to keep your blush at bay. She chuckles, her eyes squinting from the big smile on her face. “Are you okay? You seem spacey,” she says as she flops down on the bed next to you.

You give her a soft smile as you look down to where she’s lying next to you. Her left arm is stretched out behind you, so you let yourself fall back next to her, cuddling into her side. “’m more than okay, just excited about the future,” you mumble. Hearing your reply, the blonde tightens her grip on you. “Me too,” she mutters against the crown of your head as she presses a kiss onto your hair.

“Are you ready to leave UConn?” You ask, craning your neck to look up at her. Paige puffs up her cheeks before releasing the air in a quick huff. “Yes? No? I mean, I don’t think I’ll ever be ready to leave this place. This place helped me become who I am, it allowed me to become friends with the best people I know. It gave me you… I’m gonna miss the vibes here and the people. I know I’ll stay in contact with KK and Azzi and the rest of the team, but it won’t be the same,” she says as tears well up in her eyes. 

She pauses for a moment to compose herself before continuing, “But I’m also excited, ya know? The WNBA will allow me to keep doing what I love. I’ll be able to play with some amazing people and learn so many new things! And I’ll be able to play against my old teammates, like you and Nika, and Aaliyah, and I know we’ll play our hearts out and still be friends afterward.”

You nod encouragingly, knowing how hard it was for you when you first left UConn but also being happy that you did. “It’s gonna be hard at first, maybe, but it’ll be okay. The bond you have with your team doesn’t just vanish the second someone leaves. Planning hangouts will be harder now, but it won’t be impossible. Besides, KK and Azzi are basically your platonic soulmates, so you don’t need to worry about losing them,” you say while tracing shapes on her skin. 

She smiles down at you, kissing you deeply yet softly, before sitting up again and stretching. You lean your cheek against your hand as you gaze at her. You know she doesn’t like being vulnerable, so you don’t mention the switch in topic as she starts pacing the room. “So, dinner tonight… You excited?” She says as she bounces on her feet. You raise an eyebrow at her as you grin, “Yeah, it’s been a while since we’ve been on a proper date! Are you sure your family doesn’t wanna come with, though? I don’t want to hog you when they’re leaving again so soon.”

“Don’tchu worry about that, ma,” she says as she kisses your forehead. “They want us to have some time to celebrate alone.” You don’t miss the smirk on her face as she wiggles her eyebrows, so you slap her thigh as she jumps away from you. “You’re an idiot, P,” you say as you turn away to hide your smile.

“So, we’ve got about an hour left before we gotta go, whatchu wanna do till then?” Paige says, her eyes hooded and a shade darker than they usually are. “Well,” you say as you slap your hands on your legs before getting up, “I am going over to Nika’s hotel room to get ready for our date.” You start moving around your girlfriend’s dorm, collecting your stuff, as the blonde pouts in the middle of the room. 

“Come onn, already?” She says, jutting her lower lip out some more. You grin as you walk up to her, slightly standing on your tippy-toes as you kiss her pout away. “I wanna look good for dinner, babe,” you say as you start walking away. She pulls you back into her chest, nuzzling her face into the crook of your neck. “You always look good, baby,” she replies, her warm breath against your skin making you shiver.

You push her away slightly with a soft smile, caressing her cheek as she leans her face into your hand. “Thank you, love… But I’m still leaving,” you smirk, patting her face softly before successfully walking past her. You jump a little when Paige smacks your butt with a smirk and a wink. You give her a fake glare before leaving, yelling your goodbyes as you leave the dorm.

You’re not quite sure what you would do without Nika Mühl. 

Your best friend made sure you looked perfect for tonight. A new outfit that makes you feel beautiful, the hairstyle that you know drives Paige insane, and flawless makeup. While helping you get ready, the Croatian encourages you nonstop, reassures your worries, and doesn’t let a single negative thought cross your mind.

When Nika drops you off at the restaurant (you wanted to meet Paige there and planned to drive back to her dorm with her afterward), she gives you a few final soothing words and a tight hug with a “Good luck, babe” before driving off. You check one last time to make sure you have the ring before making your way into the establishment. After speaking with the hostess, you get led to a secluded table in the back.

Your breath catches in your throat at the sight of the love of your life already at the table. The blonde gets up when she sees you approach, and you can tell you’ve left her just as speechless. You clear your throat softly as you walk in front of her. “Hi, my love, you look gorgeous.” Paige blushes before grabbing your hand and giving it a sweet kiss. “You look… so beautiful,” she replies breathlessly as she scans you from head to toe.

You press a gentle kiss to her lips, making sure not to smudge your lipstick, before you both sit down. You stare at the girl in front of you lovingly as she orders your favorite bottle of wine before sending you a wink. The lighting makes Paige’s hair look even softer than usual, making you want to lean over the table and run your fingers through the blonde locks.

After you both order your food, the conversation flows easily. You talk about basketball, Paige’s future team, traveling to Europe, the shenanigans KK’s been up to, and more. You let the blonde feed you some of her food before doing the same to her. You don’t care that you’re being cliché and grossly sweet.

After the main course, Paige clears her throat, grabbing your hand, she looks into your eyes a little nervously. “Y/N, I need to say something, and I need you to not say anything until the end, okay?” You furrow your brows, but you don’t panic, having full faith in the universe and knowing that it has a plan for you, no matter what. After you nod, the blonde takes a breath to calm herself.

“I love you. I love you in a way I’ve never loved anyone, or even anything, before. Basketball is my whole life, but it doesn’t compare to the way you make me feel. From the moment we met, I knew you were the one for me. You’re my biggest supporter, always making me feel like everything will be okay in the end. You’ve always been there for me, giving me a shoulder to cry on when I was injured and cheering me on during my victories. I can’t imagine my life without you. I know we’re still young, but this just feels right.” Paige gets up as she softly says those last words before getting on one knee next to the table. 

“Y/N L/N. You are the love of my life. Will you marry me?”

You stare at her with your jaw dropped open from the moment her speech starts. Her sweet words make you tear up a bit, but you can’t stop the giggles from escaping your lips. You hold both hands in front of your mouth as you try to stop laughing, but the immense joy you feel doesn’t let you keep a straight face.

Paige looks up at you with a slight frown in confusion, but your infectious laughter quickly starts making her giggle as well. You can tell she’s still a bit nervous, however, seeing as you haven’t given her a proper reply. Her frown becomes a bit deeper as you lean away from her, shaking your head as you bend down to grab something. When you look back towards her, her bottom lip is tucked between her teeth as she anxiously awaits your answer. 

You grab your own ring box, flipping it open and holding it out to her with a wide grin. The blonde freezes for a moment as she takes in the jewel. Realizing you both had the same plan, she lets out a boisterous laugh that almost knocks her off balance. Her clumsiness makes you snort as you slap a hand in front of your mouth to stop your laughter, but it only makes it worse for you both. 

Tears are streaming down both of your faces, from laughter, but also the realization that this is really happening. Trying to calm down and not get kicked out of the restaurant, you grab Paige by her collar and drag her into a kiss. After a few moments, you back away and whisper against her lips, “Yes. I will marry you.”

Once you’ve both calmed down, you exchange rings, both biting your lips to stifle your giggles as you realize the rings match perfectly. You think back to Nika’s mischievous grin when you both went ring shopping, and how she helped you find the perfect one. You make another mental note to find a way to thank your best friend for everything she’s done for you.

You both share a dessert and finish your wine before paying the bill (Paige insisted on paying and treating her fiancée, you were too giddy to argue). Feeling drunk on the bottle of wine and pure love, you both decide to take an Uber back to Paige’s dorm (the dorm that Jana kindly vacated for the night) and pick up the car tomorrow. 

The whole ride home, you’re cuddled into Paige’s side as you twist the ring on her finger. Your cheeks hurt from the smile that doesn’t seem to want to leave your face, but it’s a nice ache. Before long, you reach campus, walking hand in hand with your girl to her room. Once you’re inside, Paige twirls you around, chuckling when her heart feels like it’s about to burst out of her chest. She pulls you against her as she sways to non-existent music. You lock your arms behind her neck, laying your head against her chest as you dance with her.

After a few minutes, she loosens her grip. “Come on, let’s go to bed, my beautiful wife,” she grins. You chuckle as she leads you to her bedroom. “We’re not married yet, babe,” you reply as you blush. Paige simply winks with a “Soon, though.”

When you fall asleep in her arms that night, you dream of a white suit, beautiful flowers, and sparkling blue eyes.

[bapeach]

Senior day

Sorry I've been gone for a month! I'm going to try to write more again, but no promises. Also sorry if the end is a bit abrupt, I suck at writing endings. Constructive criticism is always welcome :D You can find part 2 here. Find my masterlist here :)

Pairing(s): Paige Bueckers x female!reader  Word count: 3.1k+ Summary: Y/N finally surprises her girlfriend on senior day. ------------

If there was one thing you loved, it was surprises. Well, you liked surprising other people, you didn’t love getting surprised yourself. Which sucked because somehow, Paige always managed to surprise you, while she always knew what you were up to before you even knew. 

Every time you tried to surprise her by showing up at her dorm unannounced, she was there to open the door with a bouquet of flowers or a box of chocolates of her own. The fact that she knew your training schedule by heart and knew you’d come visit her every spare time you got warmed your heart, but man, was it annoying you never got to surprise her. 

The second your schedule was cleared and you didn’t reply for a few hours, she immediately knew you were on a plane to Storrs. Even when you tried lying by saying you were going to take a nap or you had extra practice, she knew.

This time, it would be different. 

When you got your training schedule e-mail at the beginning of the year, you immediately checked what the plan was for the 2nd of March. Seeing you didn’t have any practice, you basically jumped out of your seat. You immediately went into edit mode and changed the data to a full day of practice. Right as you click “save”, your phone pings. 

“Let’s gooo, we don’t have practice on senior day!! Are we flying to Storrs together?” The message reads. Grinning, you open the chat and press the FaceTime icon. Seeing Nika’s face pop up, you give her a wide smile as you say, “We’re flying together, and we’re gonna surprise the hell out of Paige!” The Croatian chuckles at your excitement. “Well hello to you too, babes,” she teases as her accent shines through. You roll your eyes playfully as you stick your tongue out at your best friend. 

“Hi lovely, how are you, queen of my life?” You joke, making her laugh. “Okay, you’re doing too much,” she giggles, shaking her head in amusement. You wink at her before looking back at your laptop and sending her the edited schedule. “Alright, I edited the e-mail we got, so now when we send it to P, she’ll think we’ll be busy that day, and she won’t see us coming!”

“Right, that’s totallyyyy gonna work,” the brunette nods with a smile. You pout at her as you whine, “It will! I don’t know how she always knows when I’m on my way to her, but she won’t this time! We just need to make sure we’re subtle, and that the team doesn’t snitch.”

You both continue to talk for another 10 minutes before your phone starts pinging with messages from your favorite blonde. Seeing the dopey grin on your face, Nika says her goodbyes and tells you to say hi to “Lovergirl”. Once the brunette’s face disappears from your screen, you tap Paige’s chat on your laptop and call her.

“Hey ma,” the blonde says with a soft smile. You send her a smile of your own as your pupils dilate at the sight of her. “Hey baby,” you respond, placing your cheek in your palm as you stare at her. Her baby hairs are sticking up, her eye bags look a little darker than the last time you saw her, and her lips are a bit chapped, but she still looks like the prettiest girl in the world to you. 

“Did you get your training timetable yet?” She asks, her right eyebrow raising slightly. You hum as you share your screen with her. The blonde leans in closer to the camera to get a better view, making you smile. You take a screenshot of her cute, scrunched-up face before focusing back on the calendar. “Damn, I was hoping you’d be free for senior day,” she huffs playfully, but you can tell she’s trying to hide her disappointment. 

You bite your lip, feeling bad that she’s upset, but you force yourself to keep it a secret. “I know, love,” you say softly, “but I promise I’ll be cheering you on from here!” Paige brightens up a bit, though not by much, so you change the subject. “I can’t believe you’re joining the WNBA soon… I can’t wait to kick your ass in front of thousands of people.”

Paige laughs loudly as she shakes her head, “Keep dreaming, babe.” You raise your eyebrow challengingly at her. “If my mind serves me right, I beat your ass at Christmas.” She rolls her eyes in return. “You cheated, and you know it,” the blonde complains. You laugh as you raise your hands in question, “How did I cheat?”

“Uhm, you were only wearing shorts and a sports bra, which you know drives me crazy. You kept flirting with me, trying to distract me. And you paid the ref to look the other way when you weren’t following the rules.” She replies, counting the reasons on her fingers. You smirk at the first two reasons but can’t help bursting out in laughter hearing the third. 

“I did not pay Drew to look the other way,” you say as you try to stop laughing. “Mhm, sureee, yet a few hours after the fact, Drew suddenly has a new game he’s been wanting for a while,” she replies, squinting her eyes in suspicion. You simply shake your head at her.

When you open your mouth to defend yourself, you hear Azzi calling Paige’s name in the background. The blonde looks offscreen and mumbles a few things before looking back with a slight frown. “I gotta go, baby,” she says, her eyes becoming a little less bright. You feel your heart clench, but you try to remain strong for her. “Alright, love, have fun at practice, don’t overwork yourself! I’ll talk to you later, okay?”

She smiles softly. “Alright, bye, I love you!” “I love you too!” Once her face disappears from your screen, you sigh. Though you’d seen her just last week for the holidays, you missed her already. You both knew it wasn’t going to be easy being in a relationship while you were both in different states, but there was no way you were going to let each other go.

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

The next few weeks are hard. Paige is practicing more and harder than she ever has, wanting to leave UConn with a bang, meaning you barely ever have time to talk. The few times you guys are able to call, the blonde falls asleep within minutes of hearing your voice. Every morning after, you get a very sad message as she apologizes for once again falling asleep. Every time she does, you reassure her it’s okay, being happy that she finds comfort in your voice as she dozes off. Sure, you’d love to actually have a proper conversation with her, but you know she’s doing her best.

Besides, it’s not like you weren’t busy, either. Your coach had you practicing more than ever, wanting the team to be prepared to start off the season well. When you weren’t practicing with the team, you were in the gym with Nika, synchronizing your moves to become even better teammates. You were doing a pretty good job, though your heart felt heavy from the lack of seeing your girl.

You counted down the days until senior day, and with only a few days left, you were getting restless. “Okay, we should arrive about two hours before the game, so that should give us enough time to pick up the flowers, get settled and ready, and hopefully get to our seats without being swarmed by fans.” You ramble nervously as you fall back onto Nika’s bed. The brunette smiles at you as she settles down next to you, brushing some hair out of your face. “It’s gonna be okay, babe, stop stressing.”

“I just wanna make sure everything is perfect for her, she deserves that,” you reply as you look at your friend. “And it will be! I’ve been texting Azzi, and it seems P believes that we won’t make it, she’s all mopey.” She grins at the thought of a pouty Paige, knowing the girl gets a bit childish when she’s upset. You roll your eyes at her, but you can’t help your lips curving up a little.

“Only a few more days,” you thought to yourself.

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

The second your plane lands, you and Nika speed over to get your bags before rushing to your hotel. You make a quick stop at the florist to pick up a bouquet of flowers, beaming when you see how pretty they are. You each take turns taking a quick shower before getting ready together. You help Nika braid her hair as she helps you with your make-up. Sensing your stress, the brunette takes your mind off of things by talking about random things like the new restaurant you two should go to and the new show you’ve been watching.

You make a mental note to treat the Croatian to a nice girls day for everything she’s done for you.

Once you’re ready, you make your way over to the stadium. Your stomach flutters with nerves as you fidget with the bouquet. Once inside, you make your way over to one of the UConn staff members and an old friend of yours, handing him the flowers so he can keep them safe for now. You talk with him for a moment before Nika lets you know it’s time to get to your seats. You tap your foot to the music that’s playing as you wait for the Huskies to come out and warm up. 

When you hear the crowd start cheering, you look up and see the players slowly walk onto the court, grinning as they take in the moment. Your eyes immediately zero in on Paige as she walks onto the court with KK and Azzi by her side. A grin forms on your lips as you watch the blonde and the freshman tease each other. When you look at the team’s princess, you see she’s already looking at you with big eyes and a wide grin. 

You send Azzi a wave before looking back at Paige. Having noticed the younger girl beside her isn’t paying attention, the blonde looks over at her. She follows her gaze before freezing mid-step. Her blue eyes meet yours, and it feels like everything around you fades. Her pearly whites shine bright as she smiles at you. 

She quickly starts walking over to you as you get up to meet her halfway. The second she’s within reach, you fling your arms around her neck as she lifts you into a tight hug. You squeeze her close to you, finally feeling whole again. You feel the taller girl breathe in your signature perfume as she buries her face into the crook of your neck. You rub her neck with your thumb as you greet her, “Hey baby,” you whisper as to not break the moment. 

When she pulls back, you see a few tears have formed in her eyes. You chuckle as you rub your thumbs over the apples of her cheeks. “How? I thought you had practice?” She mutters, looking away from you for a moment to send Nika a big smile. “I may or may not have edited the file…” you say with a cheeky grin, “Surprise!” The blonde shakes her head as she laughs, her eyes seem lighter than ever. 

She looks around for a moment before shrugging and saying, “Fuck it.” She pulls you into a sweet kiss that leaves you both blushing as you hear the crowd around you cheer even louder than before. You push her away, shaking your head as you bite your lip to stop the huge grin growing on your face. “Go warm up, loser,” you tease. She nods her head, her eyes twinkling. She squeezes your hand before walking back to her team. “Hey P!” You yell, making her look back. “Knock ‘em dead!”

She sends you a smirk and a salute, causing the butterflies in your stomach to stir. You had full confidence in UConn, having seen the insane games they’ve been having lately, but that didn’t make the game any less nerve-wracking. Anything could happen. A bad fall, a shitty ref, or even just the nerves getting to the team. But even with all your worries about a possible injury, a smile is etched onto your face the whole match. Seeing Paige on the court, exactly where she belongs, is magical. It’s like seeing the last puzzle piece click into place.

As the last seconds tick by, you’re standing up beside Nika, applauding and cheering so hard your hands burn and your throat aches. As the final buzzer goes off, you pull the Croatian into a tight hug as the Huskies jump into a group hug. Once things have calmed down a bit, Paige waves you over, so you grab Nika’s hand and walk onto the court. The two of you immediately get bombarded by hugs, high-fives, and pats on the shoulder from the team. You gush to them about how well they played before finally making your way over to the star of the show.

You fling yourself into the blonde’s arms right away, not caring about her sweatiness. You hold her so tight that you fear she might not be able to breathe. You feel her heart beating loudly against her chest as your head lays against her. “I’m so fucking proud of you, baby,” you mutter, smiling up at her with love clear in your eyes.

Paige pulls you into a searing kiss, not caring about the camera’s flashing around you. “I love you so much,” she breathes out as she leans her forehead against yours. “And I you, my love,” you reply, your heart feeling like it’s about to burst out of its cage.

You let her go after a moment, letting her go to her team for the end of senior night. You stand around with Nika for a bit before it’s time for the ceremony. Giving the Croatian’s hand a squeeze, you walk towards where the Huskies are standing. You stroll over to Paige and her family, giving Drew a high five and the rest of her family a hug. 

The blonde looks at you with adoration and a hint of confusion. You stop next to her, sliding a hand into hers. “I’d love to walk with you, if that’s okay?” You ask with an easy smile. “Of course, but… I thought only family was allowed to do that?” She replies, her brows knitted together. “Usually, yeah, but… I pulled some strings,” you grin mischievously. A chuckle escapes her lips, but before she can say anything, the lights dim and a hush spreads over the crowd. 

You squeeze her hand before looking ahead at the announcer as he starts announcing the first senior, Kaitlyn Chen. You clap as she starts walking with her family, a bright smile on your face. You might never have played with the girl, but you adored her energy and had heard great things about her from Paige. 

Once it’s Paige’s turn, you walk beside her, winking at some of your old teammates as you pass them. Reaching Geno, you give him a tight squeeze, missing the old grump more than you dared to tell anyone. Once the blonde receives her frame, you take a step back with her siblings, letting her have her moment. You sling your arms around them, letting Drew stand in front of you as he leans against your front. Seeing their teary eyes, you squeeze their shoulders as you give them a watery smile.

After a moment, Paige waves everyone over. You give her siblings a tiny push as you grin her way. You let them take some pictures before joining them after a pointed look from your girlfriend. As you stand there, surrounded by your favorite people, your heart swells. Nothing could wipe your smile off of your face.

As you pose for the camera, your right pocket feels heavy. Though the tiny blue box holds nothing more than a ring and a thousand promises, it feels like it’s aflame and ready to burn its way to freedom. 

While you don’t plan on proposing in the middle of a big gym, surrounded by sweaty bodies and a howling crowd, you do have the ring on your person. Though it makes you slightly anxious, fearing you might lose it or Paige might see it, it also brings you a type of serene calm. You brush your hands against it, letting the velvet box ground you. Knowing that tonight is the night you’ll finally ask the love of your life to be yours forever only makes this day that much sweeter.

You squeeze the taller girl’s hand thrice before letting her go so she can take some more pictures with the other seniors. Once the whole team joins them on the court again, it’s time for the unveiling of your girl’s name on the wall of legends. Tears well up in your eyes once more at the feeling of pure pride and adoration you have. Nika laughs beside you, seeing you become a mess. She hands you a tissue as she gives you a tight side hug.

Once Paige is done with her speech and senior night is coming to an end. You walk back over to her, this time holding the bouquet you’d gotten her. She grins as she sees you coming, a light blush covering her cheeks at the sight of her favorite flowers. “You didn’t have to get me these,” she says, but you can hear the appreciation in her voice. “I know, but I wanted to. You deserve this… Not just the flowers, this whole thing, I mean. You’re amazing. As a basketball player, a leader, a friend, a sister, and a girlfriend. Meeting you is the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” you ramble before biting your tongue. You have an entire speech planned for tonight, now is not the time to start blabbing.

The girl in front of you opens her mouth to speak, but no sound comes out. You’ve left her completely speechless with your sweet words, so instead of saying anything, she just pulls you against her, making sure not to crush the flowers. You hold her for a moment before pushing her away. “Now go shower, you stink,” you grin playfully. “Ugh, you’re so annoying,” she huffs back, but a smile is visible on her face.

You watch her walk away and into the locker rooms, exhaling as you roll your shoulders back. You try not to worry about the big question tonight, knowing you can’t back out. Turning around, your eyes catch Nika’s from where she’s standing with Geno. She sends you a smile and a tiny nod of encouragement, knowing your plan for tonight. You send her one in return before walking over to your (hopefully) soon-to-be in-laws.

“I’ve got this,” you think to yourself.

[bapeach]

Stolen kisses - part 2 ~ Paige's version

Finally posting part 2 of stolen kisses! Sorry it's taken so long, i've been a busy busy bee :) Hope you guys enjoy it! Constructive criticism is always welcome :D Find my masterlist here :)

Pairing(s): Paige Bueckers x female!reader  Word count: 6.4k+ Warnings: make out sessions, hickeys, jealousy Summary: Paige finally snaps as jealousy takes a hold of her, revealing your secret relationship to the team. ------------

A few weeks have passed, and you’re still happier than ever. Okay, that’s a lie. Classes have been kicking your ass, and practices have been leaving you completely drained. Relationship-wise, however, things have been great!

You celebrated your 6-month anniversary with Paige a while ago, and it was amazing. You felt a little bad about having lied to your team that night, but you had to. They wanted to have a sleepover in KK and Ice’ dorm and watch movies, but you weren’t about to cancel your date for that. 

You’d taken her to a fancy restaurant for dinner, followed by a movie in your dorm as you held her in your arms. You’d looked up the nicest restaurant in the area because you wanted nothing but the best for your girl, but in the end, you don’t remember anything about the place itself. You were too enthralled by how beautiful Paige looked in that mouthwatering black dress shirt of hers. You didn’t notice the cozy lights, too focused on the way the Minnesotan lit up the room with her smile. The soft music was nothing compared to the sweet laugh that filled the air as you made a joke.

That day might’ve been the best day of your life. The restaurant was quite a distance away from campus and was pretty private, so you didn’t have to worry about anyone seeing you two in such an intimate setting. It felt so freeing. You hoped that it wouldn’t be long before you could finally show everyone that you’d managed to win over the prettiest girl in the world. 

-------

You hum to yourself as you get out of the car. You woke up with a song stuck in your head, and it hadn’t left your mind for the past two hours. Mumbling the lyrics as you grab your bag out of the trunk, you hear your name being yelled. You close the trunk, turning around to see a grinning KK wave at you as she and Azzi make their way towards you. You smile back at the pair, greeting them as KK daps you up. You give Azzi a quick hug before you all start walking towards the facility.

“You ready for practice?” The younger girl asks with a wide smile. “Sure, if being ready means being dead-tired, sore, and barely holding it together,” you reply with a playful smile. “That’s the spirit!” KK laughs as she pats you on the shoulder.

When you reach the court, your eyes immediately zero in on Paige. She’s talking to some of the other girls as she’s stretching. Hearing the doors slam shut, she looks over and sends you a smirk, her eyebrow raised playfully as she catches you staring. You simply smile at her, not bothered by the teasing look on her face. 

You quickly say hi to everyone, giving each girl a hug or a fist bump. When you hug Paige, you let your hands linger on her hips a little longer, giving her 3 soft squeezes. “I love you,” you say without words. When you pull back, the blonde looks at you with a twinkle in her eyes. She bites her lip to hold back the beaming smile that’s threatening to break free. You give a quick wink as you move away from her, walking towards the locker room to put away your stuff.

When you return to the court, you see everyone is already there, including coach Geno and a girl you don’t recognize. You don’t get the chance to ask who she is before KK starts rambling about a new game she’s been obsessed with. You give her your full attention, laughing at her dramatics and wild hand gestures. In the middle of her rant about a certain game mechanic she hates, Geno waves everyone over. KK huffs as she pouts at being interrupted. You pat her shoulder, telling her to continue talking about it later. The younger girl brightens up, beaming at the fact that you want to hear more about her current obsession.

Everyone forms a half-circle around the coach and the mystery girl, giving them curious looks. You know for sure she’s not a new player. She’s a lot shorter than you, standing at about 5’2”, with wavy, brown hair and big, thin glasses. She’s holding her laptop to her chest as she smiles sweetly at everyone. When you make eye contact, you send her a small smile of your own. Her eyes crinkle as her lips curl up even more.

You don’t notice the look Paige sends your way as she notices the interaction. You look back at Geno when he starts talking. “Everyone, meet Emma, she’ll be interviewing everyone for the school newspaper. I trust you’ll all make her feel very welcome!” He says with a smile, but his eyes hold a seriousness as he looks at the team. “Hi, it’s nice to meet you guys,” Emma says with a shy smile, her cheeks becoming a little pink at the attention from the tall, athletic girls around her. 

One by one, the huskies begin introducing themselves. The atmosphere immediately becomes more relaxed as KK sassily introduces herself and immediately follows it with a playful jab at Paige. The blonde gasps dramatically, teasing the younger girl back with her own insults. Everyone chuckles at the childish duo as they both quiet down after getting a pointed look from Geno.

“Alright, practice will go on like normal, but Emma will call each one of you away for small interviews to get to know you all better for her article. She’ll be joining us for the next 5 or so practices, so you might not all be interviewed today. Let’s treat her with respect and show her what it’s like to be part of the Husky family!” Geno speeches. When he finishes, he gives Emma a nod, letting her slip away to go set up her stuff. 

Practice starts like normal, a mix of serious training mixed with laughter as the girls tease each other. Chuckles can be heard as KK whines about not being picked first for the interview, Ice sticking her tongue out at the younger girl as she walks over to Emma. Once Ice is done, KK gets called away, followed by Azzi. You don’t pay them a lot of mind, more focused on fixing your trouble shots. Once Geno is happy with everyone’s progress, he changes the drill. “Okay, pair up! We’re gonna work on defense.”

You don’t get the chance to try to wave Paige over, as the blonde appears beside you in the blink of an eye. “Partners?” She grins. “Partners,” you agree. Once the team is paired up, you grab a ball and take Paige to a quiet corner. “Ready to get destroyed, babe?” She mumbles with a smug smirk. 

Your heart flutters at the nickname. “In your dreams, baby,” you quip back. While you’d proven to her you were the better scorer that day you two first kissed, there was no way you were better at defense. That doesn’t mean you’ll back down and submit, however. You loved riling her up. Especially when you could convince her afterward to sneak off with you to go make out in a random janitor’s room. She’d kiss you with so much fire and passion that it made you see stars.

You’re glad the others are busy with their own stuff and that no one is looking your way. It’s not like you and Paige were being very subtle. You were constantly mumbling flirty comments while letting your hands linger on her body for longer than you would with any other player. You also didn’t need to be told to know you had that look in your eyes. The look that Paige calls your “adoration face”. But how can you not look at her with so much love in your eyes when the love you have for her is one of the main reasons that keeps you going in life?

Your banter gets cut short as you hear your name being called. When you look over, you see Aaliyah making her way towards you. “You’re up, L/N,” she announces as she takes over your spot with Paige. You send both girls a smile before making your way to the interviewer. You miss the sour look on the blue-eyed girl’s face as you walk away. 

You sit down beside Emma, asking her how she’s doing and if the others haven’t been giving her too much trouble. She giggles a little, shaking her head as a few curls fall in her face. You try your best to make the shorter girl feel at ease, knowing your team can be a loud and intimidating bunch. The brunette starts her interview with easy questions, asking how long you’ve been playing basketball, who your favorite players are, and what your dream team would look like. She also asks about what the team dynamics are in your opinion and how you’d describe the other players in only one word.

Your natural charm (or your “otherworldly rizz” as KK would say) shines through during the whole interview. The girls keep glancing over when they hear Emma laugh at another one of your comments, all giving you a grin or a raised eyebrow at your “flirting”. You’re not trying to flirt, being very happy in your relationship with Paige, but that’s just the person you are. 

You give the people you’re talking to your full attention, your eyes never leaving theirs. You make people feel comfortable with your genuine charm and warm smile. It also didn’t help that one of your main love languages is touch. You were always touching the team, be it an arm on someone’s shoulder, a knee against theirs, or a hand on their arm. You don’t notice you’re doing the same with Emma, a hand resting against her upper arm as you lean in a bit to tell her a funny story about your first practice at UConn. 

Hearing your chuckles, which usually sound like music to the blonde’s ears, Paige looks over at the benches, a tiny frown on her face as you laugh with the girl beside you. Her mood only worsens when she sees the brunette slap your arm softly as you give her a little smirk. Being distracted, the blonde doesn’t notice Aaliyah coming a bit close, making her fall to the ground.

You look up towards the far corner of the gym as Aaliyah helps her up. You frown a bit as your muscles tense. You want to go over and check on your girl to make sure she’s okay, but you know it would look suspicious, so you stay seated. It’s moments like this where you wish you could just be open about your relationship with the girl so you could fuss over her without worrying about anyone seeing.

You don’t hear what the two players are saying, but you relax slightly as you see Aaliyah’s smile. Paige’s face looks a bit more thunderous, but you figure she’s just riled up from training and maybe even a bit embarrassed about the fall. You don’t hear anything the brunette beside you is saying as you continue to look at your girlfriend. When the blonde finally looks back your way, you send her a soft smile. You blink slowly at her, sending her another wordless “I love you”. 

A few weeks ago, you’d read something online about how cats blink slowly as to say “I’m happy” or “I love you”. You two had immediately adopted the gesture, adding it to your list of ways to assure each other when others were around. When one of you would slowly blink, the other would do it back.

At least that’s usually the case. Right now, Paige’s frown just deepens a little as she eyes you and Emma. You tilt your head slightly, raising your eyebrow in confusion. You don’t see her reaction as Emma’s voice pulls you back into the moment. “You okay?” She mumbles, looking at you in concern. “Hm? Oh! Uh, yeah, no, I’m fine. Sorry,” you reply, rubbing your neck sheepishly as you look down apologetically.

“Don’t worry about it,” she responds as she puts a hand on your bicep. Your head snaps back up as you hear Paige scoff. You hadn’t noticed everyone had made their way over to the benches as practice had come to an end. You furrow your eyebrow at the girl’s sudden foul mood, intent on finding out what’s troubling her later. 

As everyone starts making their way towards the locker room, you hang back a bit to finish your conversation with Emma. You give the girl your number, happy to have a new friend, before making your way towards the changing room. The second you close the door behind you, the girls start hollering at you.

“Well, well, if it isn’t our favorite player, finally making her way here,” Nika teases, emphasizing the word player to let you know she’s not talking in the sense of basketball. “Do you have to flirt with every girl you meet?” KK jokingly asks. “When’s the wedding?” Ice jumps in. 

“Alright, alright, shut up,” you say, rolling your eyes playfully as you chuckle at them. “For the record, I wasn’t flirting.” “Sureee,” Azzi grins at you. You give her a good-natured push, looking at her with an open mouth in betrayal. “Et tu, Brute?” You gasp, making everyone laugh. Well, almost everyone.

You look over at your favorite person when you don’t hear her angelic laugh. Paige is glaring at the floor, her jaw clenched. You take a step towards her before clearing your throat and moving towards your locker. You want to make sure the shorter girl is okay, but you don’t want to draw attention to her bad mood, nor do you want her to get mad at you again for “being too obvious”.

You hurry to get ready, seeing as the blonde is already starting to leave. You quickly say your goodbyes to the rest of the girls before running after her. When you call her name, she doesn’t react, only continuing her powerful strides. You finally catch up as you leave the building, grabbing onto her elbow. “Hey… What’s wrong?” You mutter, trying to catch her eye as she glowers at the floor. “Nothing,” she mutters, taking a tiny step back, so your hand falls from her arm.

You feel a pang in your chest as she does so. You raise your hand again to reach out to her, letting it hang in the air for a second before putting it in your hoodie pocket instead. You feel heat creep up your neck as you remember the last time she pulled away from you. You’d been standing too close when the girls walked into the room. Paige had taken a quick step back and sent you a stern look, making your heart hurt a little. You knew she wasn’t ashamed of you, she just wasn’t ready to tell people she’s not as straight as they think she is, yet sometimes it does feel like it. 

You swallow harshly before saying her name. It comes out in a whisper as you try not to whimper. You absolutely hate it when the girl is upset with you. It makes you feel like your stomach is in knots and like your throat closes as your chest starts to hurt. 

You quickly go over everything that happened in practice, trying to figure out if you’d done anything wrong, but you come up with a blank. Opening your mouth to say…Well, you weren’t sure what you were going to say, but it doesn’t matter as Paige starts speaking first. “I gotta go, I’ll talk to you later.” She turns away from you, making her way towards her car. You want to go after her, but you know that would only make things worse.

As her car disappears from sight, you continue standing there. Your shoulders are sagged as you pout slightly. Hearing someone call your name, you straighten up, putting on a fake smile as you look over. “You alright?” Azzi asks, her eyes roaming over you as if that’ll show her what's wrong. “Yeah! Sorry, just lost in thought,” you reply, sending her a smile and a wave before you start walking away. 

When you reach your dorm, you’re glad your roommate decided to sleep over at her boyfriend’s dorm. You plop down on the couch with a sigh, leaning your head back as you close your eyes for a moment. You don’t stay like that for long, sitting back up as you grab your phone. You open your messages, hovering your thumbs over the keyboard as you stare at your last messages with Paige. She’d been teasing you and talking shit about how she was going to destroy you in practice this morning. Everything was still fine back then.

You chew your lip as you think about what to text her. You know you won’t get a reply if you ask her what’s wrong again, having enough experience with her when she’s like this. “Dorm’s empty tonight, wanna stay over? :)” You send instead. You stare at the text for a while before realizing you’re not going to get a reply any time soon. Closing the app, you get up, throwing your phone on the couch as you walk over to get some water. 

You sprint walk back over when you hear your phone ding. Quickly grabbing it, you deflate a little when you see it’s a message from Emma instead. “Thanks again for the interview today and being so nice 😊🤗” It reads. For a moment, you consider not answering, but you quickly shake your head. Emma was a nice girl and seemed like she’d be a great friend, she didn’t deserve any rudeness from you just because you were in a bad mood. 

You start feeling better the longer you text the brunette, laughing as she makes awful dad jokes. Before you know it, you two start video calling, your fingers cramping from the hours of typing. You’re looking at her with a wide smile as she animatedly waves her hands around, explaining something that happened to her during an interview. Your eyes dart up as your phone buzzes with a new message. You make a face as you see your girlfriend’s message. “Can’t tonight, I’m busy”.

You’re now certain the blonde is mad at you. Because of the fact that you two aren’t out about your relationship, you always took every chance you got to stay the night in each other’s room. Sure, the girl could really be busy, but you knew she wasn’t, seeing as she would’ve told you about it already. 

When it becomes silent, you look back at your screen to see Emma looking at you. You put another fake smile on your face as you apologize for getting distracted. The brunette shakes her head, sending you a soft smile. “It’s okay… Are you sure you’re alright?” She says, her voice warm and nonjudgmental. “Yeah, I’m sorry, I just…” You frown, not sure what you can even say. “Sorry, I should get going. I’ll talk to you later?” You say instead, sending her a small smile before letting her end the call.

You glance at your clock, seeing it’s already pretty late. You open your chat with Paige again, sending her a goodnight message. “I’m going to bed, I love you baby! Sweet dreams ❤️”. You get up and walk over to the bathroom to get ready to go to sleep. When you return, you see she already replied. You feel a bit better at the fast response, but that feeling quickly passes when you see it. “Night” is all it says.

It feels like someone is squeezing your chest as you read the message. You close out of the app, letting your phone drop beside you as you stare at the ceiling. You lay awake for hours before finally passing out from pure exhaustion. When you wake up again, it feels like you never even slept. Your head is pounding, your chest hurts, and you feel like you’ve been run over by a truck. You squint at the light coming in through your blinds before feeling around your bed to find your phone. As you try to turn it on, you realize it’s completely dead from not being plugged in. You groan to yourself, already annoyed with the day, as you plug your phone in. 

When you look at your clock, you shoot up with wide eyes. You’d overslept. Of course, you had! Your phone was dead, so your alarm didn’t go off. Stumbling out of bed, you stagger into the bathroom, trying to put on some pants as you walk. You brush your teeth while you’re on the toilet to save time before running back to your bedroom to grab a shirt. Quickly grabbing the things you’ll need for class, you linger at the door for a moment, debating if you should grab your phone. You end up leaving it on your nightstand, seeing as it’s dead anyway.

On your way to class, you feel a little bad about not sending your girl a good morning, but you try to shrug it off, knowing she’d probably still be in a pissy mood anyway. You barely pay attention to what’s being said in class as you try not to nod off. Just as your eyes are about to close, the bell rings, signaling the end of class. “Saved by the bell,” you think to yourself. 

As you make your way back across campus, you run into Paige, Azzi, and Nika. You greet everyone, slightly nervous as you say hi to the blue-eyed girl. To your surprise, she sends you a grin as she greets you happily. For a moment, you freeze, not expecting the girl to have gone back to normal, pretending nothing happened. You smile back, but it doesn’t reach your eyes as your mind goes a million miles an hour. You wonder if you should ask to talk to her alone for a moment to understand what was going on. You end up not doing it, however, scared of making her upset again. “She’ll tell me what’s wrong when she’s ready,” you convince yourself.

“I’ve texted you like 10 times already, bro. Did you lose your phone or something?” Nika asks, pulling you out of your thoughts. “Hm? Oh, nah, I forgot to plug it in yesterday, so it was completely dead this morning. I overslept and left my phone back in my room to charge.” 

You glance over at Paige, hoping she knows you didn’t just not text her because you were mad. “You’re such an idiot,” Nika laughs. You see Azzi raise an eyebrow at the brunette, knowing full well Nika forgets to plug in her phone multiple times a week, meaning Azzi has to wake her up on most days. You just roll your eyes at her, too tired to give a good comeback.

“Anywaysss,” Azzi says, “you only had one class today, right? Wanna come over to our dorm?” You think about it for a moment. On one hand, you would love to go back to bed and sleep until the next morning, but on the other hand, you wanted to spend some time with Paige. The blonde looks at you with hopeful eyes and a soft smile, and you know right then and there you’d agree to anything they proposed, as long as she’d be there.

“Sure,” you shrug. “That’s the spirit!” Nika says as she swings an arm around your shoulder. You were hoping to hang back a little and talk to Paige, but it seems like the brunette has other plans as she guides you to her dorm.

The rest of the day you spend in Nika and Azzi’s room, laughing as you laze around. Your chest feels lighter as the star player teases you like she normally would. When it’s getting late, you walk your girl back to her door. You two don’t talk much, instead choosing to walk in a comfortable silence. When you reach her dorm, you lean against the wall as you watch her side profile while she unlocks her door. After stepping inside, she raises her voice, calling out, “Hello?”

Not hearing a response, she turns back towards you, pulling you inside. You barely have time to close the door behind you as she grabs your face and kisses you. Your back hits the door as she pushes you against it, hungrily attacking your lips. You’re not sure what’s happening, but you don’t mind, kissing her back with just as much fervor. It’s crazy how much you’d missed her lips against yours, even though it had only been two days.

She pulls back, her lips now assaulting your neck as you lean back, trying to catch your breath. You can already feel the purple bruises start to form, but you don’t stop her. Though you two had agreed not to leave marks on one another, you loved it when she did. You loved being reminded of your activities and liked the way the girl claimed ownership of you despite the secret relationship. You squeeze her hips as she sucks your sweet spot, a soft groan leaving your lips. 

She pulls back, looking at you with a smug grin at the noise you made. You send her a smirk as you quickly flip her over, now pushing her against the door instead. You kiss her hard as you lean your body against her to keep her up. You let your own lips trail down her neck, but don’t leave marks, knowing everyone would know what you two did otherwise.

Once you have her gasping for air, you make your way back towards her lips. Reaching them, you give her a long, soft kiss before leaning your forehead against hers. She stares up at you, her pupils fully blown out, as she bites her lip. You lift your head, kissing her forehead as you mumble an “I love you”. She sends you a dopey smile as she says it back. You raise one hand to her cheek, rubbing it softly as you stare at her lovingly. 

Once she regains her breath and can stand up on her own again, you take a step back. While you’d love to stay with her all night, you knew her roommate could be back any minute. “I should go,” you whisper, not wanting to break the moment. “Yeah,” she breathes out, a little disappointed. You give her one more soft smile and a squeeze before leaving.

You’ve barely left her hallway when your phone dings. Looking at the message, a wide smile breaks free on your face. It’s a selfie of a pouting Paige with the words “Already miss you :(” below it. You quickly save the picture, reacting to it with a heart and telling her she’s a dork but that you miss her too.

When you text her good night when you go to bed, you’re happy to see a loving message back.

The next morning, you wake up to your alarm feeling well-rested and ready for the day. You grab your phone, texting Paige a good morning and asking if she wants to go to practice with you or if you’d be seeing her there. She replies, letting you know you can pick her up at her dorm in 30 minutes, making you grin widely. You hurriedly get ready, grabbing some toast for on the way, before leaving. You finish your breakfast right as you reach the blonde’s dorm, knocking on the door as you tap your fingers against your thigh to the beat of a random tune. 

The blue-eyed girl opens the door with a wide smile, greeting you as she steps out into the hallway. After she closes the door, she quickly glances both ways before pulling you down into a quick kiss. It ends sooner than you would’ve liked, but it still manages to make you feel dazed. The girl pushes you away with a tiny laugh, “Come on, Romeo, we don’t wanna be late.”

You give her a goofy grin as she links her arm in yours. The gesture is friendly enough that it doesn’t draw anyone’s attention, yet you can still be close to her. You both make small talk as you walk, teasing each other about everything and nothing. Once you reach the facility, you both go your own ways, greeting everyone before making your way towards the changing room.

When you make it back to the court, you pass Paige as she walks towards her locker. You playfully pat her ass, sending her a wink as she sends you a lighthearted glare. You throw her a kiss, grinning as you hear the girls around you laugh at the interaction. You start warming up with Azzi and KK as you wait for the rest of the team to arrive, only stopping when you see Emma walk in.

Seeing her struggle with all her stuff, you jog over to give her a hand. “Need some help, tiny?” You tease as you take over the bag that was sliding off of her shoulder. She sends you a dirty look as she grumbles, “M not tiny, you’re just a goddamn giant.” You laugh as you squeeze her shoulder. “What was that? You need to speak up, shorty, I can’t hear you all the way down there.”

You quickly sidestep to avoid the punch aimed at your arm, rushing forward to catch the younger girl as she stumbles from the momentum. You let out a loud belly laugh as the brunette’s cheeks become a bright red. “I hate youuu,” she mumbles as she reaches her usual spot for the interviews, putting down her stuff before hiding her face in her hands. “Nahh, you love me,” you grin, pulling her into a side hug as you pat her head.

You’re too busy making fun of Emma to notice Paige return to the court. She scowls at your proximity with the girl beside you, hating the way the interviewer is making you laugh the way she usually does.

When coach Geno calls everyone over, you give Emma a playful wink before running over to the other girls. Once everyone knows what today’s plan is, the team slowly starts dispersing. “I see you, girly,” KK says with a smug look. You roll your eyes as you reply, “I really don’t know what you’re on about. We’re just friends.” “Righttt, just friends… You like her, though, don’t cha? I mean, brunettes are your type, right?” Nika asks with a smirk.

Paige clenches her jaw and furrows her brows at the brunette’s words, walking away with her group for their drill. “In your dreams, Mühl,” You retort, giving Nika a little push. Sure, your last two girlfriends were brunettes, but that didn’t mean they were your type. You don��t really have a type, you just love all women. You love a certain star athlete in particular, though. 

Looking over at your girl, you see her staring at the floor angrily. You tilt your head in slight confusion before it dawns on you that she heard the teasing comment aimed your way. “Oh… She’s annoyed because of what Niks said. I’ll talk to her later,” you think to yourself, shaking your head to focus back on practice.

When your girlfriend’s name gets called for her interview, you watch her walk away. She’s chewing on her bottom lip, stomping her feet a little harder than usual, her shoulders hunched. You stare until you get hit by a basketball, reminding you to get your head in the game. 

Not long after, your attention gets taken away again as Paige comes back onto the court, being done with her interview much quicker than the others. You send Emma an apologetic look, feeling bad for her having to feel your girl’s wrath. She gives you a smile back, waving you over to finish your interview.

“‘M sorry about her, she’s not usually so…” You shake your head, not knowing what to say. “Don’t worry about it,” Emma grins. “I think she just has some stuff going on right now…” you trail off. “Mhm… I think she’s jealous,” the brunette shrugs. “Wait, what? Why would she be jealous?” You ask, your speech speeding up a bit, nervous that you might’ve given away your relationship with the girl. 

“Well, the two days I’ve been here, she’s been grumpy. She started off being happy, but then she saw me, and she looked annoyed,” she says in a matter of fact way. You open your mouth to protest but get stopped by the younger girl as she raises her hand. “The fact that she’s also sending me a death glare right now kinda makes me think she doesn’t like you being near me,” she finishes with a smirk. You whip your head around to look at the girl in question, seeing exactly what Emma was talking about. 

“I… It’s not like that,” you stumble, scratching your neck awkwardly. “Mhmmmm,” she hums, her eyes twinkling in amusement. “Okay, you can’t tell anyone!” You beg, your eyes wide as you look at her. “I won’t,” she replies. Seeing the uncertainty in your eyes, she put a hand on your arm, giving you a squeeze as she raises three fingers with her other hand, “Scout’s honor!” You relax with a chuckle. “Alright, dork.” 

You continue your interview, taking quick glances at your girlfriend every so often. Every time you look, you see her frown has deepened. Whenever Emma notices, you apologize, making the girl giggle at the amount of sorry’s you’ve said. When you finish your interview, you get up, shoving your shirt in your pants to continue practicing. You turn towards the brunette one last time, apologizing for the glares aimed her way. “It’s okay, it’s kinda sweet,” she replies. “Yeah, giving people the stink eye is sooo sweet,” you grin as you jog backward, making the younger girl laugh.

Hearing Emma’s sickly sweet laugh, Paige finally snaps. Once you reach the middle of the court, she marches over to you. Everyone moves away, clearly seeing that the girl is on a mission. Once she reaches you, you open your mouth to ask if everything is okay, but you don’t get the chance to say a word. The blonde grips your collar, tugging you down with more force than you expected, and kisses you hard. You automatically kiss her back before realizing what’s going on. 

Once she lets you go, you pull back slightly, looking at her with wide eyes. “You’re mine,” she growls quietly, not letting you get far. You immediately nod your head vigorously as you look her in the eyes before glancing around the room. The once lively gym suddenly having become so quiet, you could hear a pin drop. Everyone is staring at you two with a shocked look, while Emma gives you a smirk and an “I told you so” look. You see KK open her mouth a few times but close it again when she can’t find the words. 

Looking back at Paige, you see her anger has simmered down, an adorable pout on her face as she stares up at you. “I thought you didn’t want anyone to know just yet?” You mumble, leaning close so the others don’t hear. “Yeah, well, I changed my mind,” she mutters back, taking a glance towards the bench. You follow her gaze, grinning as you see Emma happily swinging her legs as she looks at you both, her cheek resting against her hand as she leans on the table in front of her. Chuckling, you pull your girl closer, leaning down to whisper, “Are you jealous?”

“What? N-no,” she huffs, burying her red face in your shoulder. You laugh at how adorable she’s being, ready to tease her some more. “You do realize Emma is in a relationship, right? She’s dating one of our hockey players.” The shorter girl becomes an even brighter red, embarrassed about the whole situation. You open your mouth to poke more fun at her, but the team seems to have overcome their initial shock, mumbling to each other in confusion.

“I’m sorry, pause,” Nika blurts out, raising her hand in a “stop” motion. “You two are dating??” She asks, her face still showing pure bewilderment. You look over at her with a wide, proud smile, nodding your head as you pull Paige closer against you, leaning your head on hers. “Since uh when?☝️🤨” KK interrogates. (A/N: Anyone get that reference?)

“We’ve been dating for 7 months and 13 days,” you reply, taking the lead as Paige is still too embarrassed to say much. “Damn, you said that with no hesitation,” Aaliyah says, looking a little impressed. “Yeah, you’re a simp,” KK laughs, making you roll your eyes. “You’re just mad cus I get bitches and you don’t!”

You look down at Paige, feeling her move away from you. She looks at you with a raised eyebrow and an “Oh really?” face. Stumbling over your words, you quickly correct yourself, “I-I mean, not bitches! Beautiful, gorgeous, smart, kind, amazing ladies- lady! One lady! Just you!” You cringe as you embarrass yourself in front of the team, proving just how down bad you are for your girl. Hearing the blonde’s soft laugh makes you feel a bit better, though only slightly.

“Wait, sorry, I’m still hung up on the fact that y’all have been dating for 7 months and somehow kept it a secret from us,” Azzi says, still looking baffled. “Yeah, come on twin, how could you not tell me?” Nika whines with a pout.

“Alright! Since clearly everyone has decided that this is more important than practice, let’s call it for today,” Geno says with an annoyed voice, though his eyes twinkle in amusement. The team starts smiling before the older man continues, “Let’s start practice 30 minutes early tomorrow, and you better come prepared because it’s gonna be a hard one!” 

The girls immediately deflate, groaning as they throw their heads back. You’re not looking forward to the grueling training, but you can’t really be mad after today. At least practice was done early, meaning you could spend the rest of the day with your girl! Even though you were pretty sure the girls would bombard you with questions, your smile doesn’t leave your face, knowing that the whole interrogation, Paige would be right by your side.

[bapeach]

Stolen kisses - part 2

Finally posting part 2 of stolen kisses! Sorry it's taken so long, i've been a busy busy bee :) Hope you guys enjoy it! Constructive criticism is always welcome :D Find my masterlist here :)

Pairing(s): Nika Mühl x female!reader  Word count: 6.4k+ Warnings: make out sessions, hickeys, jealousy Summary: Nika finally snaps as jealousy takes a hold of her, revealing your secret relationship to the team. ------------

A few weeks have passed, and you’re still happier than ever. Okay, that’s a lie. Classes have been kicking your ass, and practices have been leaving you completely drained. Relationship-wise, however, things have been great!

You celebrated your 6-month anniversary with Nika a while ago, and it was amazing. You felt a little bad about having lied to your team that night, but you had to. They wanted to have a sleepover in Paige and Azzi’s dorm and watch movies, but you weren’t about to cancel your date for that. 

You’d taken her to a fancy restaurant for dinner, followed by a movie in your dorm as you held her in your arms. You’d looked up the nicest restaurant in the area because you wanted nothing but the best for your girl, but in the end, you don’t remember anything about the place itself. You were too enthralled by how beautiful Nika looked in that mouthwatering maroon dress of hers. You didn’t notice the cozy lights, too focused on the way the Croatian lit up the room with her smile. The soft music was nothing compared to the sweet laugh that filled the air as you made a joke.

That day might’ve been the best day of your life. The restaurant was quite a distance away from campus and was pretty private, so you didn’t have to worry about anyone seeing you two in such an intimate setting. It felt so freeing. You hoped that it wouldn’t be long before you could finally show everyone that you’d managed to win over the prettiest girl in the world. 

-------

You hum to yourself as you get out of the car. You woke up with a song stuck in your head, and it hadn’t left your mind for the past two hours. Mumbling the lyrics as you grab your bag out of the trunk, you hear your name being yelled. You close the trunk, turning around to see a grinning Paige wave at you as she and Azzi make their way towards you. You smile back at the pair, greeting them as Paige daps you up. You give Azzi a quick hug before you all start walking towards the facility.

“You ready for practice?” The blonde asks with a wide smile. “Sure, if being ready means being dead-tired, sore, and barely holding it together,” you reply with a playful smile. “That’s the spirit!” Paige laughs as she pats you on the shoulder.

When you reach the court, your eyes immediately zero in on Nika. She’s talking to some of the other girls as she’s stretching. Hearing the doors slam shut, she looks over and sends you a smirk, her eyebrow raised playfully as she catches you staring. You simply smile at her, not bothered by the teasing look on her face. 

You quickly say hi to everyone, giving each girl a hug or a fist bump. When you hug Nika, you let your hands linger on her hips a little longer, giving her 3 soft squeezes. “I love you,” you say without words. When you pull back, the brunette looks at you with a twinkle in her eyes. She bites her lip to hold back the beaming smile that’s threatening to break free. You give a quick wink as you move away from her, walking towards the locker room to put away your stuff.

When you return to the court, you see everyone is already there, including coach Geno and a girl you don’t recognize. You don’t get the chance to ask who she is before KK starts rambling about a new game she’s been obsessed with. You give her your full attention, laughing at her dramatics and wild hand gestures. In the middle of her rant about a certain game mechanic she hates, Geno waves everyone over. KK huffs as she pouts at being interrupted. You pat her shoulder, telling her to continue talking about it later. The younger girl brightens up, beaming at the fact that you want to hear more about her current obsession.

Everyone forms a half-circle around the coach and the mystery girl, giving them curious looks. You know for sure she’s not a new player. She’s a lot shorter than you, standing at about 5’2”, with wavy, blonde hair and big, thin glasses. She’s holding her laptop to her chest as she smiles sweetly at everyone. When you make eye contact, you send her a small smile of your own. Her eyes crinkle as her lips curl up even more.

You don’t notice the look Nika sends your way as she notices the interaction. You look back at Geno when he starts talking. “Everyone, meet Emma, she’ll be interviewing everyone for the school newspaper. I trust you’ll all make her feel very welcome!” He says with a smile, but his eyes hold a seriousness as he looks at the team. “Hi, it’s nice to meet you guys,” Emma says with a shy smile, her cheeks becoming a little pink at the attention from the tall, athletic girls around her. 

One by one, the huskies begin introducing themselves. The atmosphere immediately becomes more relaxed as KK sassily introduces herself and immediately follows it with a playful jab at Paige. The blonde gasps dramatically, teasing the younger girl back with her own insults. Everyone chuckles at the childish duo as they both quiet down after getting a pointed look from Geno.

“Alright, practice will go on like normal, but Emma will call each one of you away for small interviews to get to know you all better for her article. She’ll be joining us for the next 5 or so practices, so you might not all be interviewed today. Let’s treat her with respect and show her what it’s like to be part of the Husky family!” Geno speeches. When he finishes, he gives Emma a nod, letting her slip away to go set up her stuff. 

Practice starts like normal, a mix of serious training mixed with laughter as the girls tease each other. Chuckles can be heard as KK whines about not being picked first for the interview, Ice sticking her tongue out at the younger girl as she walks over to Emma. Once Ice is done, KK gets called away, followed by Azzi. You don’t pay them a lot of mind, more focused on fixing your trouble shots. Once Geno is happy with everyone’s progress, he changes the drill. “Okay, pair up! We’re gonna work on defense.”

You don’t get the chance to try to wave Nika over, as the brunette appears beside you in the blink of an eye. “Partners?” She grins. “Partners,” you agree. Once the team is paired up, you grab a ball and take Nika to a quiet corner. “Ready to get destroyed, babe?” She mumbles with a smug smirk. 

Your heart flutters at the nickname. “In your dreams, baby,” you quip back. While you’d proven to her you were the better scorer that day you two first kissed, there was no way you were better at defense. While you might be biased, you truly believed Nika was one of the best defensive players out there. That doesn’t mean you’ll back down and submit, however. You loved riling her up. Especially when you could convince her afterward to sneak off with you to go make out in a random janitor’s room. She’d kiss you with so much fire and passion that it made you see stars.

You’re glad the others are busy with their own stuff and that no one is looking your way. It’s not like you and Nika were being very subtle. You were constantly mumbling flirty comments while letting your hands linger on her body for longer than you would with any other player. You also didn’t need to be told to know you had that look in your eyes. The look that Nika calls your “adoration face”. But how can you not look at her with so much love in your eyes when the love you have for her is one of the main reasons that keeps you going in life?

Your banter gets cut short as you hear your name being called. When you look over, you see Aaliyah making her way towards you. “You’re up, L/N,” she announces as she takes over your spot with Nika. You send both girls a smile before making your way to the interviewer. You miss the sour look on the Croatian’s face as you walk away. 

You sit down beside Emma, asking her how she’s doing and if the others haven’t been giving her too much trouble. She giggles a little, shaking her head as a few curls fall in her face. You try your best to make the shorter girl feel at ease, knowing your team can be a loud and intimidating bunch. The blonde starts her interview with easy questions, asking how long you’ve been playing basketball, who your favorite players are, and what your dream team would look like. She also asks about what the team dynamics are in your opinion and how you’d describe the other players in only one word.

Your natural charm (or your “otherworldly rizz” as KK would say) shines through during the whole interview. The girls keep glancing over when they hear Emma laugh at another one of your comments, all giving you a grin or a raised eyebrow at your “flirting”. You’re not trying to flirt, being very happy in your relationship with Nika, but that’s just the person you are. 

You give the people you’re talking to your full attention, your eyes never leaving theirs. You make people feel comfortable with your genuine charm and warm smile. It also didn’t help that one of your main love languages is touch. You were always touching the team, be it an arm on someone’s shoulder, a knee against theirs, or a hand on their arm. You don’t notice you’re doing the same with Emma, a hand resting against her upper arm as you lean in a bit to tell her a funny story about your first practice at UConn. 

Hearing your chuckles, which usually sound like music to the Croatian’s ears, Nika looks over at the benches, a tiny frown on her face as you laugh with the girl beside you. Her mood only worsens when she sees the blonde slap your arm softly as you give her a little smirk. Being distracted, the brunette doesn’t notice Aaliyah coming a bit close, making her fall to the ground.

You look up towards the far corner of the gym as Aaliyah helps her up. You frown a bit as your muscles tense. You want to go over and check on your girl to make sure she’s okay, but you know it would look suspicious, so you stay seated. It’s moments like this where you wish you could just be open about your relationship with the girl so you could fuss over her without worrying about anyone seeing.

You don’t hear what the two players are saying, but you relax slightly as you see Aaliyah’s smile. Nika’s face looks a bit more thunderous, but you figure she’s just riled up from training and maybe even a bit embarrassed about the fall. You don’t hear anything the blonde beside you is saying as you continue to look at your girlfriend. When the Croatian finally looks back your way, you send her a soft smile. You blink slowly at her, sending her another wordless “I love you”. 

A few weeks ago, you’d read something online about how cats blink slowly as to say “I’m happy” or “I love you”. You two had immediately adopted the gesture, adding it to your list of ways to assure each other when others were around. When one of you would slowly blink, the other would do it back.

At least that’s usually the case. Right now, Nika’s frown just deepens a little as she eyes you and Emma. You tilt your head slightly, raising your eyebrow in confusion. You don’t see her reaction as Emma’s voice pulls you back into the moment. “You okay?” She mumbles, looking at you in concern. “Hm? Oh! Uh, yeah, no, I’m fine. Sorry,” you reply, rubbing your neck sheepishly as you look down apologetically.

“Don’t worry about it,” she responds as she puts a hand on your bicep. Your head snaps back up as you hear Nika scoff. You hadn’t noticed everyone had made their way over to the benches as practice had come to an end. You furrow your eyebrow at the girl’s sudden foul mood, intent on finding out what’s troubling her later. 

As everyone starts making their way towards the locker room, you hang back a bit to finish your conversation with Emma. You give the girl your number, happy to have a new friend, before making your way towards the changing room. The second you close the door behind you, the girls start hollering at you.

“Well, well, if it isn’t our favorite player, finally making her way here,” Paige teases, emphasizing the word player to let you know she’s not talking in the sense of basketball. “Do you have to flirt with every girl you meet?” KK jokingly asks. “When’s the wedding?” Ice jumps in. 

“Alright, alright, shut up,” you say, rolling your eyes playfully as you chuckle at them. “For the record, I wasn’t flirting.” “Sureee,” Azzi grins at you. You give her a good-natured push, looking at her with an open mouth in betrayal. “Et tu, Brute?” You gasp, making everyone laugh. Well, almost everyone.

You look over at your favorite person when you don’t hear her angelic laugh. Nika is glaring at the floor, her jaw clenched. You take a step towards her before clearing your throat and moving towards your locker. You want to make sure the shorter girl is okay, but you don’t want to draw attention to her bad mood, nor do you want her to get mad at you again for “being too obvious”.

You hurry to get ready, seeing as the brunette is already starting to leave. You quickly say your goodbyes to the rest of the girls before running after her. When you call her name, she doesn’t react, only continuing her powerful strides. You finally catch up as you leave the building, grabbing onto her elbow. “Hey… What’s wrong?” You mutter, trying to catch her eye as she glowers at the floor. “Nothing,” she mutters, taking a tiny step back, so your hand falls from her arm.

You feel a pang in your chest as she does so. You raise your hand again to reach out to her, letting it hang in the air for a second before putting it in your hoodie pocket instead. You feel heat creep up your neck as you remember the last time she pulled away from you. You’d been standing too close when the girls walked into the room. Nika had taken a quick step back and sent you a stern look, making your heart hurt a little. You knew she wasn’t ashamed of you, she just wasn’t ready to tell people she’s not as straight as they think she is, yet sometimes it does feel like it. 

You swallow harshly before saying her name. It comes out in a whisper as you try not to whimper. You absolutely hate it when the girl is upset with you. It makes you feel like your stomach is in knots and like your throat closes as your chest starts to hurt. 

You quickly go over everything that happened in practice, trying to figure out if you’d done anything wrong, but you come up with a blank. Opening your mouth to say…Well, you weren’t sure what you were going to say, but it doesn’t matter as Nika starts speaking first. “I gotta go, I’ll talk to you later.” She turns away from you, making her way towards her car. You want to go after her, but you know that would only make things worse.

As her car disappears from sight, you continue standing there. Your shoulders are sagged as you pout slightly. Hearing someone call your name, you straighten up, putting on a fake smile as you look over. “You alright?” Paige asks, her eyes roaming over you as if that’ll show her what's wrong. “Yeah! Sorry, just lost in thought,” you reply, sending her a smile and a wave before you start walking away. 

When you reach your dorm, you’re glad your roommate decided to sleep over at her boyfriend’s dorm. You plop down on the couch with a sigh, leaning your head back as you close your eyes for a moment. You don’t stay like that for long, sitting back up as you grab your phone. You open your messages, hovering your thumbs over the keyboard as you stare at your last messages with Nika. She’d been teasing you and talking shit about how she was going to destroy you in practice this morning. Everything was still fine back then.

You chew your lip as you think about what to text her. You know you won’t get a reply if you ask her what’s wrong again, having enough experience with her when she’s like this. “Dorm’s empty tonight, wanna stay over? :)” You send instead. You stare at the text for a while before realizing you’re not going to get a reply any time soon. Closing the app, you get up, throwing your phone on the couch as you walk over to get some water. 

You sprint walk back over when you hear your phone ding. Quickly grabbing it, you deflate a little when you see it’s a message from Emma instead. “Thanks again for the interview today and being so nice 😊🤗” It reads. For a moment, you consider not answering, but you quickly shake your head. Emma was a nice girl and seemed like she’d be a great friend, she didn’t deserve any rudeness from you just because you were in a bad mood. 

You start feeling better the longer you text the blonde, laughing as she makes awful dad jokes. Before you know it, you two start video calling, your fingers cramping from the hours of typing. You’re looking at her with a wide smile as she animatedly waves her hands around, explaining something that happened to her during an interview. Your eyes dart up as your phone buzzes with a new message. You make a face as you see your girlfriend’s message. “Can’t tonight, I’m busy”.

You’re now certain the brunette is mad at you. Because of the fact that you two aren’t out about your relationship, you always took every chance you got to stay the night in each other’s room. Sure, the girl could really be busy, but you knew she wasn’t, seeing as she would’ve told you about it already. 

When it becomes silent, you look back at your screen to see Emma looking at you. You put another fake smile on your face as you apologize for getting distracted. The blonde shakes her head, sending you a soft smile. “It’s okay… Are you sure you��re alright?” She says, her voice warm and nonjudgmental. “Yeah, I’m sorry, I just…” You frown, not sure what you can even say. “Sorry, I should get going. I’ll talk to you later?” You say instead, sending her a small smile before letting her end the call.

You glance at your clock, seeing it’s already pretty late. You open your chat with Nika again, sending her a goodnight message. “I’m going to bed, I love you baby! Sweet dreams ❤️”. You get up and walk over to the bathroom to get ready to go to sleep. When you return, you see she already replied. You feel a bit better at the fast response, but that feeling quickly passes when you see it. “Night” is all it says.

It feels like someone is squeezing your chest as you read the message. You close out of the app, letting your phone drop beside you as you stare at the ceiling. You lay awake for hours before finally passing out from pure exhaustion. When you wake up again, it feels like you never even slept. Your head is pounding, your chest hurts, and you feel like you’ve been run over by a truck. You squint at the light coming in through your blinds before feeling around your bed to find your phone. As you try to turn it on, you realize it’s completely dead from not being plugged in. You groan to yourself, already annoyed with the day, as you plug your phone in. 

When you look at your clock, you shoot up with wide eyes. You’d overslept. Of course, you had! Your phone was dead, so your alarm didn’t go off. Stumbling out of bed, you stagger into the bathroom, trying to put on some pants as you walk. You brush your teeth while you’re on the toilet to save time before running back to your bedroom to grab a shirt. Quickly grabbing the things you’ll need for class, you linger at the door for a moment, debating if you should grab your phone. You end up leaving it on your nightstand, seeing as it’s dead anyway.

On your way to class, you feel a little bad about not sending your girl a good morning, but you try to shrug it off, knowing she’d probably still be in a pissy mood anyway. You barely pay attention to what’s being said in class as you try not to nod off. Just as your eyes are about to close, the bell rings, signaling the end of class. “Saved by the bell,” you think to yourself. 

As you make your way back across campus, you run into Paige, Azzi, and Nika. You greet everyone, slightly nervous as you say hi to the Croatian. To your surprise, she sends you a grin as she greets you happily. For a moment, you freeze, not expecting the girl to have gone back to normal, pretending nothing happened. You smile back, but it doesn’t reach your eyes as your mind goes a million miles an hour. You wonder if you should ask to talk to her alone for a moment to understand what was going on. You end up not doing it, however, scared of making her upset again. “She’ll tell me what’s wrong when she’s ready,” you convince yourself.

“I’ve texted you like 10 times already, bro. Did you lose your phone or something?” Paige asks, pulling you out of your thoughts. “Hm? Oh, nah, I forgot to plug it in yesterday, so it was completely dead this morning. I overslept and left my phone back in my room to charge.” 

You glance over at Nika, hoping she knows you didn’t just not text her because you were mad. “You’re such an idiot,” Paige laughs. You see Azzi raise an eyebrow at the blonde, knowing full well Paige forgets to plug in her phone multiple times a week, meaning Azzi has to wake her up on most days. You just roll your eyes at her, too tired to give a good comeback.

“Anywaysss,” Azzi says, “you only had one class today, right? Wanna come over to our dorm?” You think about it for a moment. On one hand, you would love to go back to bed and sleep until the next morning, but on the other hand, you wanted to spend some time with Nika. The brunette looks at you with hopeful eyes and a soft smile, and you know right then and there you’d agree to anything they proposed, as long as she’d be there.

“Sure,” you shrug. “That’s the spirit!” Paige says as she swings an arm around your shoulder. You were hoping to hang back a little and talk to Nika, but it seems like the blonde has other plans as she guides you to her dorm.

The rest of the day you spend in Pazzi’s room, laughing as you laze around. Your chest feels lighter as the Croatian teases you like she normally would. When it’s getting late, you walk your girl back to her door. You two don’t talk much, instead choosing to walk in a comfortable silence. When you reach her dorm, you lean against the wall as you watch her side profile while she unlocks her door. After stepping inside, she raises her voice, calling out, “Hello?”

Not hearing a response, she turns back towards you, pulling you inside. You barely have time to close the door behind you as she grabs your face and kisses you. Your back hits the door as she pushes you against it, hungrily attacking your lips. You’re not sure what’s happening, but you don’t mind, kissing her back with just as much fervor. It’s crazy how much you’d missed her lips against yours, even though it had only been two days.

She pulls back, her lips now assaulting your neck as you lean back, trying to catch your breath. You can already feel the purple bruises start to form, but you don’t stop her. Though you two had agreed not to leave marks on one another, you loved it when she did. You loved being reminded of your activities and liked the way the girl claimed ownership of you despite the secret relationship. You squeeze her hips as she sucks your sweet spot, a soft groan leaving your lips. 

She pulls back, looking at you with a smug grin at the noise you made. You send her a smirk as you quickly flip her over, now pushing her against the door instead. You kiss her hard as you lean your body against her to keep her up. You let your own lips trail down her neck, but don’t leave marks, knowing everyone would know what you two did otherwise.

Once you have her gasping for air, you make your way back towards her lips. Reaching them, you give her a long, soft kiss before leaning your forehead against hers. She stares up at you, her pupils fully blown out, as she bites her lip. You lift your head, kissing her forehead as you mumble an “I love you”. She sends you a dopey smile as she says it back. You raise one hand to her cheek, rubbing it softly as you stare at her lovingly. 

Once she regains her breath and can stand up on her own again, you take a step back. While you’d love to stay with her all night, you knew her roommate could be back any minute. “I should go,” you whisper, not wanting to break the moment. “Yeah,” she breathes out, a little disappointed. You give her one more soft smile and a squeeze before leaving.

You’ve barely left her hallway when your phone dings. Looking at the message, a wide smile breaks free on your face. It’s a selfie of a pouting Nika with the words “Already miss you :(” below it. You quickly save the picture, reacting to it with a heart and telling her she’s a dork but that you miss her too.

When you text her good night when you go to bed, you’re happy to see a loving message back.

The next morning, you wake up to your alarm feeling well-rested and ready for the day. You grab your phone, texting Nika a good morning and asking if she wants to go to practice with you or if you’d be seeing her there. She replies, letting you know you can pick her up at her dorm in 30 minutes, making you grin widely. You hurriedly get ready, grabbing some toast for on the way, before leaving. You finish your breakfast right as you reach the brunette’s dorm, knocking on the door as you tap your fingers against your thigh to the beat of a random tune. 

The Croatian opens the door with a wide smile, greeting you as she steps out into the hallway. After she closes the door, she quickly glances both ways before pulling you down into a quick kiss. It ends sooner than you would’ve liked, but it still manages to make you feel dazed. The girl pushes you away with a tiny laugh, “Come on, Romeo, we don’t wanna be late.”

You give her a goofy grin as she links her arm in yours. The gesture is friendly enough that it doesn’t draw anyone’s attention, yet you can still be close to her. You both make small talk as you walk, teasing each other about everything and nothing. Once you reach the facility, you both go your own ways, greeting everyone before making your way towards the changing room.

When you make it back to the court, you pass Nika as she walks towards her locker. You playfully pat her ass, sending her a wink as she sends you a lighthearted glare. You throw her a kiss, grinning as you hear the girls around you laugh at the interaction. You start warming up with Azzi and KK as you wait for the rest of the team to arrive, only stopping when you see Emma walk in.

Seeing her struggle with all her stuff, you jog over to give her a hand. “Need some help, tiny?” You tease as you take over the bag that was sliding off of her shoulder. She sends you a dirty look as she grumbles, “M not tiny, you’re just a goddamn giant.” You laugh as you squeeze her shoulder. “What was that? You need to speak up, shorty, I can’t hear you all the way down there.”

You quickly sidestep to avoid the punch aimed at your arm, rushing forward to catch the younger girl as she stumbles from the momentum. You let out a loud belly laugh as the blonde’s cheeks become a bright red. “I hate youuu,” she mumbles as she reaches her usual spot for the interviews, putting down her stuff before hiding her face in her hands. “Nahh, you love me,” you grin, pulling her into a side hug as you pat her head.

You’re too busy making fun of Emma to notice Nika return to the court. She scowls at your proximity with the girl beside you, hating the way the interviewer is making you laugh the way she usually does.

When coach Geno calls everyone over, you give Emma a playful wink before running over to the other girls. Once everyone knows what today’s plan is, the team slowly starts dispersing. “I see you, girly,” KK says with a smug look. You roll your eyes as you reply, “I really don’t know what you’re on about. We’re just friends.” “Righttt, just friends… You like her, though, don’t cha? I mean, blondes are your type, right?” Paige asks with a smirk.

Nika clenches her jaw and furrows her brows at the blonde’s words, walking away with her group for their drill. “In your dreams, blondie,” You retort, giving Paige a little push. Sure, your last two girlfriends were blondes, but that didn’t mean they were your type. You don’t really have a type, you just love all women. You love a certain Croatian in particular, though. 

Looking over at your girl, you see her staring at the floor angrily. You tilt your head in slight confusion before it dawns on you that she heard the teasing comment aimed your way. “Oh… She’s annoyed because of what P said. I’ll talk to her later,” you think to yourself, shaking your head to focus back on practice.

When your girlfriend’s name gets called for her interview, you watch her walk away. She’s chewing her gum aggressively, stomping her feet a little harder than usual, her shoulders hunched. You stare until you get hit by a basketball, reminding you to get your head in the game. 

Not long after, your attention gets taken away again as Nika comes back onto the court, being done with her interview much quicker than the others. You send Emma an apologetic look, feeling bad for her having to feel your girl’s wrath. She gives you a smile back, waving you over to finish your interview.

“‘M sorry about her, she’s not usually so…” You shake your head, not knowing what to say. “Don’t worry about it,” Emma grins. “I think she just has some stuff going on right now…” you trail off. “Mhm… I think she’s jealous,” the blonde shrugs. “Wait, what? Why would she be jealous?” You ask, your speech speeding up a bit, nervous that you might’ve given away your relationship with the girl. 

“Well, the two days I’ve been here, she’s been grumpy. She started off being happy, but then she saw me, and she looked annoyed,” she says in a matter of fact way. You open your mouth to protest but get stopped by the younger girl as she raises her hand. “The fact that she’s also sending me a death glare right now kinda makes me think she doesn’t like you being near me,” she finishes with a smirk. You whip your head around to look at the girl in question, seeing exactly what Emma was talking about. 

“I… It’s not like that,” you stumble, scratching your neck awkwardly. “Mhmmmm,” she hums, her eyes twinkling in amusement. “Okay, you can’t tell anyone!” You beg, your eyes wide as you look at her. “I won’t,” she replies. Seeing the uncertainty in your eyes, she put a hand on your arm, giving you a squeeze as she raises three fingers with her other hand, “Scout’s honor!” You relax with a chuckle. “Alright, dork.” 

You continue your interview, taking quick glances at your girlfriend every so often. Every time you look, you see her frown has deepened. Whenever Emma notices, you apologize, making the girl giggle at the amount of sorry’s you’ve said. When you finish your interview, you get up, shoving your shirt in your pants to continue practicing. You turn towards the blonde one last time, apologizing for the glares aimed her way. “It’s okay, it’s kinda sweet,” she replies. “Yeah, giving people the stink eye is sooo sweet,” you grin as you jog backward, making the younger girl laugh.

Hearing Emma’s sickly sweet laugh, Nika finally snaps. Once you reach the middle of the court, she marches over to you. Everyone moves away, clearly seeing that the girl is on a mission. Once she reaches you, you open your mouth to ask if everything is okay, but you don’t get the chance to say a word. The brunette grips your collar, tugging you down with more force than you expected, and kisses you hard. You automatically kiss her back before realizing what’s going on. 

Once she lets you go, you pull back slightly, looking at her with wide eyes. “You’re mine,” she growls quietly, not letting you get far. You immediately nod your head vigorously as you look her in the eyes before glancing around the room. The once lively gym suddenly having become so quiet, you could hear a pin drop. Everyone is staring at you two with a shocked look, while Emma gives you a smirk and an “I told you so” look. You see KK open her mouth a few times but close it again when she can’t find the words. 

Looking back at Nika, you see her anger has simmered down, an adorable pout on her face as she stares up at you. “I thought you didn’t want anyone to know just yet?” You mumble, leaning close so the others don’t hear. “Yeah, well, I changed my mind,” she mutters back, taking a glance towards the bench. You follow her gaze, grinning as you see Emma happily swinging her legs as she looks at you both, her cheek resting against her hand as she leans on the table in front of her. Chuckling, you pull the Croatian closer, leaning down to whisper, “Are you jealous?”

“What? N-no,” she huffs, burying her red face in your shoulder. You laugh at how adorable she’s being, ready to tease her some more. “You do realize Emma is in a relationship, right? She’s dating one of our hockey players.” The shorter girl becomes an even brighter red, embarrassed about the whole situation. You open your mouth to poke more fun at her, but the team seems to have overcome their initial shock, mumbling to each other in confusion.

“I’m sorry, pause,” Paige blurts out, raising her hand in a “stop” motion. “You two are dating??” She asks, her face still showing pure bewilderment. You look over at her with a wide, proud smile, nodding your head as you pull Nika closer against you, leaning your head on hers. “Since uh when?☝️🤨” KK interrogates. (A/N: Anyone get that reference?)

“We’ve been dating for 7 months and 13 days,” you reply, taking the lead as Nika is still too embarrassed to say much. “Damn, you said that with no hesitation,” Aaliyah says, looking a little impressed. “Yeah, you’re a simp,” KK laughs, making you roll your eyes. “You’re just mad cus I get bitches and you don’t!”

You look down at Nika, feeling her move away from you. She looks at you with a raised eyebrow and an “Oh really?” face. Stumbling over your words, you quickly correct yourself, “I-I mean, not bitches! Beautiful, gorgeous, smart, kind, amazing ladies- lady! One lady! Just you!” You cringe as you embarrass yourself in front of the team, proving just how down bad you are for your girl. Hearing the brunette’s soft laugh makes you feel a bit better, though only slightly.

“Wait, sorry, I’m still hung up on the fact that y’all have been dating for 7 months and somehow kept it a secret from us,” Azzi says, still looking baffled. “Yeah, come on twin, how could you not tell me?” Paige whines with a pout.

“Alright! Since clearly everyone has decided that this is more important than practice, let’s call it for today,” Geno says with an annoyed voice, though his eyes twinkle in amusement. The team starts smiling before the older man continues, “Let’s start practice 30 minutes early tomorrow, and you better come prepared because it’s gonna be a hard one!” 

The girls immediately deflate, groaning as they throw their heads back. You’re not looking forward to the grueling training, but you can’t really be mad after today. At least practice was done early, meaning you could spend the rest of the day with your girl! Even though you were pretty sure the girls would bombard you with questions, your smile doesn’t leave your face, knowing that the whole interrogation, Nika would be right by your side.

[bapeach]

Are you planning on coming back?

Hey! I'm sorry for being MIA! I've been really busy with work and life in general :( I wanna start writing more again, but I haven't really been in a writing mood and I don't wanna force it and then give you guys half-assed stories.

I'm gonna try to post another story on Sunday, but after that I might be gone for a while seeing as I only have time to write during weekends and March is gonna be a very busy month for me.

[bapeach]

Valentine's Day

Anyone else suck at writing summaries for their stories? Anyways, happy belated Valentine's! I hadn't planned on writing a Valentine's related story, but here we are. Hope you all enjoy! Constructive criticism is always welcome :D Find my masterlist here :)

Pairing(s): Paige Bueckers x female!reader  Word count: 4.8k+ Warnings: a bit clinché, swearing, long-distance Summary: Valentine's Day isn't so bad when you get to call with your long-distance best friend, except things don't really go the way you planned. You're not mad about it, though. ------------

Valentine's Day. A day loved by many and hated by even more. 

You belonged in the latter category. Why did couples need an extra day to celebrate their relationship? Why would you require an extra day to be nice to your partner when you should do that any other day as well? The only thing this holiday does is make single people feel bad. You’re not bitter about it or anything, it’s just a fact, okay fine, you’re a little salty.

Today is another Valentine that you’re spending single, but this time at least you have plans! While most of your friends were going to be off on dates, you were going to be calling your long-distance best friend and making fun of the whole holiday. To say you were excited to talk to the girl was an understatement.

Being a student-athlete wasn’t easy, Paige had complained about her busy schedule enough for you to know. Not that she had to, you could tell how exhausted she was whenever she found a bit of time to call you between school, homework, and basketball. It saddened you to know the blonde was wearing herself out completely to be the perfect student while also making sure she’s the best basketball player she can be. She barely ever has time to relax, and you’re scared she’s going to give herself a burn-out.

You were glad Paige found time today to hang out with you. You’ve missed her more than you thought you could ever miss anyone, not having heard her voice in weeks and only having gotten short messages to let you know she’s still alive. 

“Everyone is gonna be out and about on friday after practice so I’ll have the dorm to myself, FaceTime at 10:30?” Her message had read last Sunday, and you’d immediately agreed. While you knew the Valentine’s Day hangout was just a friendly hangout between best friends, you liked pretending it would be a date. 

When you met Paige, you never thought you’d ever fall for her so deeply, let alone be such good friends with her. But here you were, 6 years later, with the biggest crush on her.

When your mom sent you to a random month-long summer camp when you were 16, you’d protested with your whole being. You’d much rather stay home, bundled up on the couch all summer, re-reading your favorite book series, not going to a random camp out in the wild. “You’ll learn so much stuff! And you’ll make friends for life!” She’d said, making you roll your eyes. You didn’t believe a word she’d said, knowing that even if you managed to make friends, you’d only talk to them for that summer and maybe a month after.

You didn’t meet Paige until a week into camp. Her cabin was nowhere near yours, and so you weren’t in the same activity groups as her. One of your roommates had met her one night when she couldn’t sleep and went on a walk. She said you two would get along well, but the more she talked about the blonde, the less likely it seemed to you.

While you were shy, loved staying in, let people walk all over you, and were a bit of a teacher’s pet, 16-year-old Paige was the complete opposite. She was outgoing and friendly, and she loved teasing people even when she didn’t know them. She preferred the outdoors, getting restless when she had to stay in and couldn’t play her sports. She loved breaking the rules and always seemed to get away with it too, her charisma being able to charm all the camp leaders.

When your cabinmate had called her over during dinner, you were incredibly intimidated by the taller girl. She towered over you with a big grin, her blue eyes wide and full of mischief. She was loud and immediately set her eyes on you when she noticed your quietness. When your friends had joked about how shy you were, she’d only grinned wider, saying she was going to get you to come out of your shell.

She managed to win you over a lot faster than you dared to admit. After that dinner, she was always able to spot you in the crowd, coming over to tease you or introduce you to more people. Within a week, you two were glued at the hip. She managed to do what she said she would, making you a little less afraid to speak your mind, while you were able to bring a calm to her that no one knew existed.

You swore saying goodbye to her at the end of camp was one of the hardest things you’d ever had to do. You were quite dramatic at times. Sadly, you’d been right about the not staying friends thing. You two sent each other two letters once camp was over and called five times before life got too busy with school, extracurriculars, and new friends. After that, you didn’t talk for two years.

The next time you saw her again, you thought you were dreaming. You were touring different universities and had just finished the UConn one. Paige had managed to get even taller, her muscles were more defined, and she’d finally found her style. You thought you were mistaken at first, but then her bright eyes found yours, and a wide smile made its way onto her face. She excused herself from the conversation she was in and jogged over to you, not letting you say more than a hi before pulling you into a hug. You let yourself fall into the comfortable, familiar feeling, sinking into her as you hug her back.

This time, when you two parted and said you’d stay in touch, you actually did. Sadly, you didn’t end up going to UConn, instead choosing a university over two hours away from the blonde. Keeping in contact was easier now that you were older and more mature. You called each other multiple times a month, texting almost daily, and even met up IRL whenever you could. You’d attended quite a few of her games, and she even surprised you on your birthday last year.

That birthday is your favorite one so far. Paige had surprised you with flowers and a book you’d been wanting for ages. She spoiled you like crazy that day, even staying the night at your dorm before having to go back to UConn. The day after was the day you realized you were head over heels for her. You became aware of the fact that the butterflies you felt in your stomach weren’t just from being excited at seeing your best friend, they were actually because you had a crush on her.

You never told her about your feelings, however. You figured she only saw you as a friend and knew that there were hundreds of girls throwing themselves at her feet, so why would she choose someone who didn’t even live in the same state as her? 

You shake yourself out of your thoughts as you readjust yourself on your bed. Seeing it’s already 10:28, you open your camera to make sure you look okay. Patting down the flyaway hairs, you smile at your reflection. Closing the app, you grab your water bottle to take a sip and calm your growing nerves.

Knowing you’ll be even more nervous if you keep staring at the seconds tick by, you open TikTok and scroll on your FYP to pass the time. You quickly realize that wasn’t the best idea, seeing as there are only edits of Paige on your screen. Your face becomes a bright red as you watch the videos and save them all. You close the app after seeing an edit that makes you feel certain things, fanning your face as you try to get rid of your blush. 

When you look at the time again, you shake your head in amusement. 10:35. In the years that you’ve known the blonde, there haven’t been many instances in which the girl has been on time. Usually, it bothers you to no end when someone is late. It makes you feel as though they don’t respect you enough to be on time. With the blonde, it’s different, however. 

It’s cute to see her all flustered, apologizing again and again for her tardiness. It makes you laugh when she pouts at you, complaining about how her laptop had to do another update, how her alarm didn’t go off, or how Geno always has it out for her during the practices before a call. You grin when she leaves out the part where she was once again being a menace at practice, teasing her about it after Nika texts you to let you know Paige will be late and why.

You send her a quick text, asking if she managed to piss off Geno again, before checking to see if the Croatian had texted you anything. After another 5 minutes pass, you frown a little, slightly worried about the blonde. When your phone buzzes, you sit up straighter, fluffing up your hair a bit as you prepare to start the call. Grabbing your phone, you expect a “Sorry I’m late! You ready?” message, but you deflate instead.

“Hey, sorry I can’t call 2day, feeling exhausted, rain check?” It reads.

Of course, this isn’t the first time Paige has had to cancel on you. You understood that her busy schedule left her incredibly exhausted, and you knew she hated herself every time she had to cancel. Usually she pushed through, calling you anyway and falling asleep within 10 minutes of the call. She’d apologize profusely, a big frown on her face as her eyes turn a murky blue in sadness. You always told her you didn’t mind, you actually found it cute how her tired eyes would slowly blink at you before finally closing. 

The fact that she actually canceled this time meant she didn’t feel good at all, so you let her know it was okay and that you’d talk soon. Once you wish her sweet dreams as she goes to take a nap, you close your laptop with more force than necessary. 

While you typically wouldn’t mind all that much, you did this time. You missed her like crazy, you hadn’t had the easiest week, all your friends were out having fun, and to top it all off, you were about to have your period, making you even crankier than usual. You sit in silence for a moment as you try to blink away your tears. You press your palms to your eyes as you shake your head. Slapping your cheeks softly, you try to snap out of it. “Don’t be such a little baby,” you think to yourself.

You get up and stretch before pausing in the middle of the room. You look around a little lost, unsure of what to do now that your plans fell through. You bite your lip as you think about the tub of ice cream you left in your freezer for when you had a bad day. You pout as you realize you’ll spend yet another Valentine’s Day watching a cheesy movie that’ll make you cry into your ice cream.

Right as you’re about to open the freezer, you hear a knock at the door. You throw your head back, holding in a groan as you debate pretending no one is home. You knew it was most likely your roommate, who knew you were going to be home, having forgotten her keys again, so you make your way over to the door. 

You take a quick peek into the mirror to check if your eyes look red from your mini breakdown, silently cursing when they do. Rolling your eyes at yourself, you open the door, ready to tell your roommate to not mention it.

You freeze as your jaw drops open. Paige is standing in the hallway, holding a bouquet of red roses and a big teddy bear, a wide smile carved on her face. “Surprise,” she says, her voice soft as she takes you in. You cover your mouth with your hand as tears well up in your eyes again. “Damn these hormones,” you think, blinking to make them go away.

Seeing your watery eyes, the blonde’s smile softens as she mutters a “C’mere.” You fall into her open arms, squeezing her tightly as you nuzzle your face into the crook of her neck. Paige leans her head against yours, pressing a gentle kiss against your temple. She slowly shuffles you backward into your dorm, using her foot to close the door behind her.

Once you realize the way you’re gripping onto her, you let her go, heat creeping up your face. You feel a bit embarrassed, but the feeling gets taken over by the happiness of finally being near the blonde again. “What’re you doing here?” You breathe out as you look at her in childlike wonder. “Wanted to spend Valentine’s with my favorite girl,” she replies, shoving the flowers and bear towards you. The butterflies in your stomach flutter around as you take the gifts with a wide smile, your cheeks bright red at the nickname.

You quickly put the flowers in a vase with some water before setting the teddy bear down on the couch. When you turn back towards Paige, you see her already staring at you with a soft look in her eyes. You skip back over to her, flinging yourself back into her arms, making her chuckle. “Thank you,” you mutter against her shirt, fondness seeping through in your voice.

You pull back slightly with a loving smile, looking up at her but not leaving her arms. She moves one hand away from your back, bringing it towards your face as she rubs your cheek. “Anything for you,” she mumbles as she takes in your face like she’s trying to memorize every bit of it. You can feel your face heat up, but you can’t look away. Your heart beats faster as you admire her, waiting to see what’s on her mind as you see different emotions swim around in her eyes. 

Softly clearing her throat, she steps back nervously as she takes an envelope out of her pocket. She shifts her weight from foot to foot as she looks down at the envelope, her throat bobbing as she swallows harshly. “I, uh,” she starts, biting her lip before looking up at you with an anxious yet hopeful look. “This is for you,” she says, handing you the envelope. You raise an eyebrow at her as you ask, “What’s this?”

“Jus open it,” she says, fidgeting with her sleeve. You open the envelope tentatively, a little nervous at how anxious the usually confident girl is. Folding open the pink letter, you scan the page, smelling her perfume as if she sprayed it on the paper. You smile in adoration as you see the usual scribbly handwriting, this time a little less messy. Taking a quick glance at the girl, you see her rub her neck, nodding at you to read it. Your heart skips a beat as you read the words. 

It’s… It’s a love confession. 

You grip the paper a little tighter as you read about how Paige has had a crush on you for the past two years and how much you mean to her. Your eyes stay glued to the page until you reach the end. “Will you be my valentine?” The last sentence reads.

You look up at her in shock, excitement bubbling in your chest. The athlete is still looking at you, her eyes wide and hopeful. “Really?” You whisper, not wanting to break the intimate atmosphere. She nods her head as she bites her lip shyly. A broad smile spreads across your face as you nod enthusiastically. “Yes!” You say, your voice a bit higher as you’re unable to contain your joy.

“Yeah?” Paige grins, her confident, cheerful self showing again. She grabs you again, lifting you up as she twirls you around. You can’t help the laugh that escapes your lips at the giddiness you’re feeling. “Okay, uhh, I’ve made dinner plans for tonight, but I was thinking we could just chill here for a bit and then go get lunch in that cute little café we went to last time I was here!” The blue-eyed girl beams.

You’re already nodding your head before she finishes her sentence, knowing you’d do anything with the girl. Seeing as you still have some time before you need to start getting ready, you drag the basketball player to your couch. You let her sit down first before settling down next to her and swinging your legs over her lap. You’d been in this position plenty of times before, but those times never felt as intimate as this time.

Your heart thrums in your chest as Paige immediately rests her hands on your legs, rubbing them softly as she relaxes into her seat. You hold your new teddy bear against your chest as you watch the blonde fondly. Catching you staring, she sends you a smirk, making you look down with a chuckle.

“So, how’d you manage to get coach to let you skip practice?” You ask, your head tilted in question. “Oh, that was easy, he loves me, so he said he’d let me skip for once,” she replies smoothly. You huff out a laugh as she says that, mischief clear in her eyes. “You’re such a liar,” you grin back. “Okay, okay, maybe that’s not exactly how it went,” she rolls her eyes playfully. You look at her triumphantly as she gives your leg a little squeeze, more amused than annoyed that you caught her. “He said I could skip, but that my next practice is gonna be extra hard.” 

You look at her in amusement but also slight worry. “You didn’t have to do this, you know? I would’ve been happy with just a phone call. I don’t want you to work yourself to the point of passing out,” you reply, your brows furrowed slightly in concern. She shakes her head, bringing one hand to your face to smooth out your frown. “I know I didn’t have to, but I wanted to. Besides, I think I would’ve gone insane if I didn’t see you soon,” she says, her voice more vulnerable than you’re used to.

Your lips curve back into a smile as she continues. “And stop worrying about me so much, I’m okay. If things get too much, I’ll let you know, I promise.” She sticks out her pinky finger, grinning at you as you interlace yours with hers.

You two keep talking until it’s time to get ready for lunch. Seeing as Paige is already dressed, you leave her on your couch as you walk up to your closet to pick a nice outfit before running to the bathroom to put yourself together. Once you’re satisfied, you return to the couch, blushing as you see the blonde check you out. You raise your eyebrow and send her a teasing grin, letting her know you caught her. She simply sends you a smirk back as she gets up.

There’s not a moment of silence on the way to the café as you two talk about the latest things in your lives. You talk about classes, basketball, family, friends, and the weird dreams you’ve had. The conversation continues to flow during lunch and into the afternoon as you walk around the city with Paige. A smile is permanently etched into your face as you stroll around with your hand in the blonde’s. While her hand is a bit rough from playing so much basketball, it’s still very soft. She rubs her thumb across your knuckles as she animatedly talks about the shenanigans she’s been up to with the team.

When you stop for ice cream, you order your favorite flavor before noticing Paige taking another flavor you love. It confuses you a little, knowing she doesn’t really like it, but you don’t really pay any mind to it as you continue rambling about what your professor did last class. When you sit down, you enjoy your ice cream as you listen to the girl in front of you. She takes small bites in between sentences, making her still have half of it left when you’re done with yours. As she talks, she starts feeding you some of her cup, making you smile at how cheesy you two are being. You don’t mind, though, this is exactly what you’d dreamed of.

When you notice the blonde isn’t eating her ice cream anymore, only feeding you, you go to protest. You don’t get the chance to, however, as the girl knew what you were up to. She quickly shoves another spoonful into your mouth when you open it to speak, rolling your eyes playfully. She grins as she shrugs a little.

Once you two are done, you walk back towards your dorm, silently thanking your roommate for having her own plans and not being home. Once inside, you guide the blonde to your bed, plopping down as you put on a random show for background sounds. You spend hours talking about everything and nothing, laughing harder than you have in months. 

“So, this dinner, where are we going?” You ask Paige as you crane your neck up from where you’re lying against her. She pretends to lock her mouth and throw away the key, making you roll your eyes. “You’re so unhelpful, y’know that?” She laughs, knowing it’s true. “Can you at least tell me what the vibe is? Do I need to dress fancy?” You question as you get up and walk over to your closet. You rifle through your options as the athlete speaks. “Semi-formal, I guess,” she shrugs, getting up herself. “Where are you going?” You ask as she starts walking towards the door. 

“Gonna grab my bag from my car, I’m not going to dinner in this outfit,” she replies, making you nod in understanding. Once she’s gone, you pause for a moment, pinching yourself to make sure you’re not dreaming. When you know for sure you’re not, you let out an excited squeal before calming yourself down and getting ready. Once you’re dressed, you sit down in front of your mirror to apply some light make-up.

You hear Paige walk back in, having borrowed your keys, as you’re applying mascara. Once you’re done, you look at her through the mirror and send her a bashful smile. She doesn’t smile back, too enthralled by your beauty. You shake your head as you giggle, grabbing your lip gloss. You lean in a bit closer to the mirror, applying a thin layer of gloss to make your lips shine. You glance over at Paige, seeing her eye the applicator as you glide it across your lips. She swallows harshly when you make eye contact, looking away sheepishly as she walks over to get ready in the bathroom. 

You scroll through Instagram as you wait for the blonde, liking the Valentine’s Day posts from your friends. When you hear the bathroom door open, you glance up, your throat going dry. Paige always looked gorgeous, but right now, you think she’s never looked better. She smiles softly at you as you take her in. She doesn’t tease you about the way you’re basically drooling over her, knowing she’s just as enamored.

“You look beautiful,” she says, grabbing your hand and giving it a soft squeeze. “Says you,” you grin with rosy cheeks. Her eyes twinkle with happiness as she leads you to the door. “Oh, one sec!” You mutter, running back towards your dresser to grab something. You quickly put the tiny box in your bag before walking back over to Paige. “Alright, I’m ready,” you say, rocking back and forth in excitement.

You walk towards the taller girl’s car in comfortable silence, your hand in hers, fingers interlinked. You let her open the passenger door for you, chuckling at her as she gives you a bow. “M’lady,” she tries to say seriously, but she can’t stop the smile growing on her face. “You’re such a dork,” you reply as you get in, hoping she doesn’t notice the bright color of your cheeks.

Once you two are on the road, Paige takes one hand off of the steering wheel, putting her arm on the center console. You look at it for a moment before grabbing her hand and interlacing your fingers once more. You take a peek at the blonde to see her reaction and feel your stomach flutter when you see her sporting a tiny, content smile.

Once you get to the restaurant, you look around in awe. It was beautiful. You still can’t believe that all of this is real. That Paige Bueckers, your best friend, is taking you out on a date and treating you like a queen. Your cheeks hurt from how much you’ve been smiling all day. 

You two share a bottle of wine as you enjoy your food, letting one another taste each other’s dishes, grinning when you find the other’s food better. You giggle as you switch your plates around, not paying any mind to the looks you’re receiving. After finishing your meal, you order dessert, sharing the sweet treat, feeling pretty full from dinner. 

Once you’re done, Paige pulls out a wrapped box with a tiny ribbon bow. For a moment you’re confused where it came from, but you quickly dismiss your confusion. “Paige, you didn’t have to get me anything! You’ve already paid for everything today,” you whine, feeling bad about how much the girl is spending on you. “Oh hush,” she says, “I love spoiling my girl.” “Your girl, huh?” You tease with a grin. She rolls her eyes lightheartedly. “Open itttt,” she says impatiently.

You giggle as you open it, letting out a gasp as you see the bracelet inside. “Paige…” you breathe out, “this is beautiful.” “Yeah? You like it?” She asks, hoping you’re speaking the truth. You nod eagerly, flashing her a toothy smile as you brush your thumb over the P charm. “I was scared it would be too possessive, giving you something with my initial on it for our first date,” she admits, scratching her temple. “I love it, P,” you say, letting her help you put it on.

You grab your bag, pulling out your own gift box. “You didn’t,” Paige grins as you hand it to her. “I did,” you grin back. “How? You didn’t even know I was coming today,” she asks, giving you a curious look. “I got this a while back and was just waiting for the perfect moment to give it to you,” you say, your heart drumming in your ears as you nervously wait for her reaction. Her face lights up at the sight of the new chain you’d gotten her. She lifts it out of the box, letting it shine in the dim restaurant lights.

She taps the tiny basketball pendant as it swings on the chain. The blonde sends you a radiant smile, her eyes shining with love. “Thank you,” she says, adoration clear in her voice. You raise one finger, making her pause. You rummage in your bag, grabbing a tiny plastic bag, before handing it to her with a smirk. She holds it close, laughing as she realizes what it is. Opening the bag, she grabs the tiny charm, twirling it between her fingers. “I see we had the same idea,” she smiles, her cheeks becoming a soft pink at the thought of wearing your initial on her neck. 

You help her put it on before waving over the waiter for the bill. You begrudgingly let Paige pay, knowing you’d never win that fight against her. You hold her hand as you walk towards her car, squeezing it softly. Your heart feels like it’s going to burst with joy and adoration. Once you reach the car, you look at the taller girl as she pauses. 

Her eyes flit over your face as she softly grabs your hips. She steps closer, gently pushing you against the car. She leans in closer, her eyes looking into yours with a questioning look. Your heart skips a beat as you nod lightly. The blue-eyed girl leans even closer, her lips hovering over yours for a moment to give you an extra second to change your mind. When you don’t, she presses her lips against yours in a slow but deep kiss. You grab her face, trying to pull her even closer as you close your eyes. After a minute, you pull away slightly to catch your breath. You move your hands towards her neck as you play with her baby hairs. The smile she sends you makes you weak in the knees, making you silently thank God that you’re leaning against the car. 

“Be mine?” Paige breathes, her question sounding almost like a statement. You don’t need to think twice as you nod, pulling her into another kiss.

You know it won’t be easy, being in a relationship while you’re miles apart, but you know that it’s all worth it when you get to call this amazing girl yours.

[bapeach]

Might have to move the Nika fic back a few days as I spent today writing a Paige fic for Valentine's Day. I'm sorry! Hope you guys don't mind too much :)

When is the nika one shot coming?

You can find my newest Nika fic "Boombastic" here! It's a pretty short one, but I'm gonna try to post another one on Sunday :)

[bapeach]

When is the nika one shot coming?

You can find my newest Nika fic "Boombastic" here! It's a pretty short one, but I'm gonna try to post another one on Sunday :)

[bapeach]

Boombastic

Just a short story while I try to get back into writing. Don't love it, but it's better than nothing 😁 Constructive criticism is always welcome. Find my masterlist here :)

Pairing(s): Nika Mühl x female!reader  Word count: 1.3k+ Summary: You catch Nika watching TikTok edits of you.

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

When you enrolled in UConn, your only plans were to play basketball and get a degree. You didn’t care about making friends or getting a girlfriend. You only really wanted to play ball, but you knew you needed to have a backup in case something happened and you could never play again. So a degree in communication it was.

It’s not like you struggled making friends, you just didn’t ever have your own little friend group. You hopped from group to group, always a friend to everyone, but never letting anyone get too close. Well, that was before you came to university. If you really thought you were going to be able to only be teammates with your basketball team, you thought wrong. Joining that team means joining a family. And thank God for that. You loved those girls to pieces and were happy to call every single one of them your best friends.

You were especially close to Nika, however. Which was a good thing, seeing as she was also your roommate. And maybe you also had a tiny crush on her, but no one needed to know that. Sure, you two playfully flirted with each other all the time, but that was all just a joke. To the Croatian, at least. You meant every single thing you said to her. Things like how she was the prettiest girl you’d ever seen, how her smile could light up the darkest rooms, and how if she were yours, you’d treat her right.

There are moments when you think she might like you back. The way she looks at you isn’t the way friends look at each other. Friends also don’t blush the way she does when you lean in close to mutter a compliment. But then you start overthinking it and make yourself believe that you’re just imagining things. Because there is no way that the goddess that is Nika Mühl will ever like you.

----

You hum your favorite song to yourself as you walk through the hallways. You’d just gone out for some errands and were on the way back to your dorm. You wonder if Nika is already there or if she’s still with Paige. You hope she’s home, maybe then you two could finish the show you’d started a while ago. You quicken your step a little as you near your dorm. When you open the door, you take a step inside to see Nika already on the couch, her back towards you. 

A grin appears on your face as you quietly put your stuff down on the table next to the door. You open your mouth to say something, but you know that wouldn’t do much. Nika is wearing those annoying headphones that you complain about at least once a day. They’re great for the person wearing them, the sound is clear, and outside sounds are completely muffled. They aren’t so great for the people around them, though. You can clearly hear everything the wearer is listening to, while they can’t hear you yell at them to turn it down.

You start taking off your shoes as you hear the song playing on Nika’s phone. You smirk a little as you recognize the music. Boombastic by Shaggy. The song has been all over your fyp all week, so you figure the brunette is scrolling on TikTok. Your face scrunches up in confusion when you’ve finally taken off both shoes. The song was playing on repeat. “I swear to God if she’s watching an edit of herself to that song,” you think to yourself as a mischievous grin grows on your face.

You walk over and pause behind her, watching her phone from over her shoulder. Your mouth drops open as you see yourself in the video. A smirk appears on your face as you watch Nika play the TikTok over and over again. You see that she’s already liked it and has it saved to one of her folders. You shoot forward, snatching the phone out of her hands as you quickly back up.

The brunette bolts up as she looks at you with wide eyes, her cheeks blazing red in embarrassment. “Y/N, give me back my phone!” She huffs. She tries to take it out of your hands, but you hold your arm away from her as you look at her cockily. “Damn, I look good,” you hum, pursing your lips.

“Y/N, please,” she begs, looking at the floor. You tap her profile as you check out in which folder she saved the video. “Oh. My. God… You have a folder with 102 edits saved of me?” You laugh in shock and amusement. The Croatian girl burns an even brighter red as she stops trying to steal the phone from you, having accepted defeat. She sits back down as she puts her face in her hands. “Shut uppp,” she whines.

You look away from the phone towards the brunette, your smile softening. “God, she’s adorable,” you think. Nika huffs as she hears you take a screenshot of the number and send it to yourself. She wishes the ground would open up and swallow her whole. Once you’re done, you throw the phone next to her, not looking as it bounces against her thigh.

You grab your own phone, saving the screenshot before opening your TikTok. After a few swipes, you put your phone back in your pocket as you look at Nika with a grin. Feeling her phone buzz, the brunette grabs it and unlocks it to check your message. She stares at the picture you sent for a few seconds. It was a screenshot of your own TikTok account, a folder with her name on it visible. The number “253” on display.

“You… you have 253 TikToks saved of me?” She says as she looks up at you, her eyes wide. “102 is a rookie number. I thought you liked me?” You tease as you cross your arms. She rolls her eyes as you walk over, a smirk forming on her face. “253 of me? People are gonna think you have a crush on me, Y/N/N,” she grins. You grab her hand and pull her up from the couch. Her cheeks flaming as you pull her against you. “Hmm, and so what if I do?” You say with a low voice as you grab her chin. 

“I’m not sure I believe you,” she replies, looking up at you with doe eyes. “Is that so?” You mutter, leaning a little closer to her. “Mhm… Why don’t you show me how much you like me?” She mumbles back. She barely has time to finish her sentence as you pull her face towards your own. You kiss her hard and deep as you grip her a little tighter. When you’re out of breath, you back up a bit and smirk. “How was that for proof?”

She rolls her eyes at you, a grin on her face. You soften a bit as you look at her. You move your hand to cup her cheek as you rub your thumb across it. “I really like you, Niks,” you say, your voice barely louder than a whisper. You don’t care about the fact that you’re looking at her with vulnerable, desperate eyes. You needed her to know. 

She grabs your face in her hands, pulling you close. You stare into her eyes, only being a few inches away from her. “Then why haven’t you asked me out yet?” She murmurs, her lips a small pout. You look at her in adoration and a hint of regret. “I’m sorry for being too scared to… Let me make it up to you? Dinner at 6 tomorrow?”

She grins at you, pulling you in for another kiss. “Deal.” You beam a wide smile at her before smirking. “So… Do you often watch TikToks of me on repeat?” You let out a deep laugh as Nika slaps your shoulder, pushing you away. You grab her wrists, pulling her back against you in a hug. “You’re a jerk,” she mutters against your chest. “Yeah, but you love me,” you reply, feeling her smile against your shirt. “Hmph,” she huffs, but squeezes you tighter.

You suppose those damn headphones aren’t so bad after all.

[bapeach]

Are you dropping anything soon?

Yes :) I'm gonna try to drop a short Nika fic tonight! I'm also working on a longer Nika fic which I will try to drop next week!

[bapeach]

are u making another part to kk’s twin

I'm gonna be honest, I wasn't really planning on making a part 2 seeing as I'm not really sure what I would write about 🤔 If I do write a part 2, it's probably not gonna be anytime soon, as I'm pretty busy with work, and my hyperfocus switched from bball to Motherland: Fort Salem. But! If anyone has any ideas of what a part 2 could look like, feel free to send them to me! That way I might write it sooner :)

[bapeach]

Can u write stolen kisses part 2. Maybe with Nika getting jealous and them finally telling the team that they are together

👀 Thank you for the request! Let me see what I can do :D

[bapeach]

Stuttering heart

Another Azzi fic! I just feel like she'd be the sweetest girl ever. Hope you all enjoy! Constructive criticism is always welcome :D Find my masterlist here :)

Pairing(s): Azzi Fudd x female!reader  Word count: 6.2k+ Warnings: Cursing, stuttering Summary: In which your voice isn't the only thing that stutters, but your heart as well. ------------

UConn was the place to be if you wanted to be someone in the world. To some people, at least. You were one of them. You’ve wanted to go to UConn since you were 11 years old, and now, 7 years later, you’re living the dream. 

Okay, maybe living the dream was a slight overexaggeration that you told your parents to make them stop worrying about you. But you were happy. You were studying something you actually cared about and weren’t struggling all that much. So what if you didn’t live the typical college student life, going to parties every week? You’d much rather curl up in bed with a good book and some great music. And so what if you didn’t have any friends? You didn’t need anyone. You’d gone through your life alone for most of it anyway.

Whenever your parents asked, however, you always lied about how much fun you were having with your new besties. You just didn’t want them worrying about you when you were miles from home. You also didn’t want to hear your mom nag about how you need to go out more and actually talk to people. You’d tried that when you were younger, but it just didn’t work.

The whole making friends thing wouldn’t be so bad if you didn’t suffer from social anxiety and didn’t also have a speech impediment. You’ve had a pretty bad stutter your entire life, which always gets worse when you’re nervous. And so nerves make the stutter worse, which makes the nerves worse, which means you get stuck in a vicious cycle. Always being left a stammering mess at the slightest inconvenience. 

It was really bad when you were still young. The kids in your school constantly bullied you for being different. They’d always mock you and tease you but pretend to be nice kids when the teachers were around. It took you a while to tell your parents about the abuse you suffered in school, but when you finally did, they let you stay home. So you were homeschooled for most of your life. Your parents couldn’t exactly give you a whole college degree at home, though. So now you were at UConn!

Thankfully, you’re mainly surrounded by mature adults now, so the bullying was over. That sadly didn’t mean that they understood, though. Most people don’t really have the patience to listen to someone when they can barely say 2 words without a stutter coming through. You can see it in their eyes, the way they dart around the room, looking for an escape. Or you can tell by the way they try to help by finishing your sentences for you. You suppose it’s nice of them to try to help, but in reality, it’s just annoying. It completely throws you off, making you forget what you’re trying to say. Or it just makes you feel like an inconvenience.

So yeah, you didn’t really try to socialize with the students around you. You’d accepted your lonely life a long time ago and had made your peace with it. You never raised your hand in class, emailing the professor when you had any questions. You avoided group projects, opting to do all the work alone over having to deal with the anxiety of talking to your peers. So, maybe it wasn’t the best life you were living, but you tried to make the most out of it.

-----

You’re making your way out of the library when you first bump into her. You’d planned on getting some studying done in a quiet corner, surrounded by the smell of books, but the universe had other plans. Or, well, all the other students with the same idea did. The library is filled to the brim with people, so you’ll have to make do with studying in a coffee shop nearby. 

You grip your books a little tighter as you walk, eyes trained on the floor. You don’t notice the athlete making her way towards you until you crash into her. You fall down, dropping your textbooks along with the articles you’d planned to read. You quickly get up into a crouch as you start collecting your stuff, as well as the papers from the person you’d run into. “S-s-s-s-orry,” you mutter, still not looking up as your face turns red with embarrassment from both running into someone and your stammered apology. A hand enters your view as the person helps you grab everything. 

“Don’t worry about it,” you hear a female voice say. You finally glance up and freeze for a moment. The angelic voice belonged to an actual angel. Your heart skips a few beats as you feel your mouth drop open a little. The girl in front of you might just be the prettiest girl you’ve ever seen. Even though she’s crouched down, you can tell she’s tall and athletic. She has big, beautiful eyes that twinkle in the light. Her soft-looking lips are curved into a sweet smile. A smile that reaches her eyes and can melt the heart of anyone.

Once you’ve both grabbed everything, the brunette stands up, one hand holding some books as the other is stretched out towards you, ready to pull you up. You accept her hand as you stand up. Her hand feels both soft and rough at the same time. You smile awkwardly at her as she looks at the items she’s holding, trying to figure out which ones are hers and which ones are yours. You stare at her a moment longer before looking through your own pile. 

“Oh my God, you also have Mr. Davis? Is he also such an assh- I mean, is he also super strict in your class?” She asks, a small grin forming on her face at her slip up. She tilts her head a little as she waits for an answer. You swallow harshly, hoping you won’t completely embarrass yourself in front of the goddess standing before you. “Yeah, he’s p-p-p-pretty s-s-s-strict,” you mutter, clenching your jaw in annoyance at the stammer. You prepare for the inevitable. The classic “Why are you stuttering? Are you nervous?” or maybe the typical awkward smile as people try to get away from having a conversation with you.

You’re surprised to see and hear none of that. Instead, the girl’s smile softens just a bit, her eyes still looking into yours. “I have an assignment of his due tomorrow, and I honestly have no clue what I’m doing. He’s also too much of a jerk to give people an extension, so I’m screwed,” she huffs as her lips form into a pout. She straightens up a bit, her smile returning. “I’m so sorry, I just realized I never introduced myself! I’m Azzi,” she grins, stretching out her hand to shake yours. You hesitantly shake it as you open your mouth to speak. “I’m Y/N,” you reply, exhaling a sigh of relief when you don’t stutter.

You’re about to hand Azzi her papers when you see the assignment she was talking about. It was the same one you’d finished working on yesterday, and it was definitely not an easy one. Before you can overthink it, you start speaking. “I can help you if you w-w-want?” 

The brunette’s smile becomes even wider. “Really? You’d do that?” You can already feel regret bubbling up in your chest as you realize you’ll have to talk a lot if you want to help her. You almost back out, but you can’t. Not when Azzi is looking at you with those wide, hopeful eyes.

“Mhm,” you hum as you shrug your shoulders. “Thank you so much! Are you free right now?” she asks as she taps her fingers against the spine of the book she’s holding. You open your mouth to reply, but shut it again, instead choosing to simply nod. “Alright, let’s go,” she grins. She starts making her way to the library when you gently grab her arm to stop her. “The library is f-f-full. Wanna go to a c-c-coffee sh-sh-shop?” You ask, nervously scratching your arm. 

“Sure! Have you been to the one that only just opened? I swear their coffee is the best I've ever had,” she claims, leading the way. You shake your head as you follow her. The whole way to the café, Azzi talks about everything and nothing. From Mr. Davis’ class to her upcoming basketball game (You knew it, there was no way she wasn’t an athlete!). 

You listen to her voice, nodding and shaking your head at the right times. You reply when she has questions, but you try to avoid talking when you can. Whenever you do speak, however, your heart swells a little. Not once does the brunette try to hurry you up or talk over you. She patiently waits for you, the smile on her face never leaving.

When you reach the shop, the athlete tells you she’ll order the drinks as you go find a seat. You give her your order with a small smile before finding a table. Once Azzi has the drinks, she hands you yours and plops down with a smile. You grab your wallet to pay her back, but she holds up her hand to stop you. “No, no, it’s okay! Consider this payment for your help.” 

You start shaking your head, ready to tell her she doesn’t have to pay you for that. You don’t get the chance to, however, as Azzi gives you a playful glare. You sag your shoulders with a huff, but a smile makes its way onto your face as you hear the brunette giggle.

“Alright, let’s get this show on the road,” she says, looking at you with hopeful eyes. You give her a firm nod as you crack your knuckles. You spend the next 45 minutes explaining the assignment, giving examples, and showing her a step-by-step on how to solve the issue. Once she finally understands, she makes the task before looking at you for approval. You quickly scan the page as a bright smile makes its way to your face. You show her 2 thumbs up as she cheers, leaning back in her seat with relief. 

You can’t believe you’d just spend almost an hour with someone who wasn’t a family member, and you didn’t even feel bad once. Every time you got stuck on a word, the brunette would just calmly wait for you to continue. She’d look at you with kind eyes and a relaxed posture, never once getting annoyed or losing her patience.

It’s silly how you haven’t even known Azzi for a day, but you already feel so safe in her company. Is this what it was like to have a friend? You feel a pit grow in your stomach as you realize you’ll both go your own ways again soon and probably won’t ever talk again. Because sure, Azzi didn’t mind spending some time with you, but it’s not like she’d want to be your friend and deal with you all the time, right?

You get shaken out of your thoughts as the athlete speaks again. “How about we exchange numbers? You seem like a cool person to hang out with outside of school stuff,” she says, her pearly whites on display. You stare at her in shock for a moment. It feels like you somehow ended up in a movie. The pretty and popular jock befriending the shy, nerdy girl. 

“I mean, we don’t have to if you don’t wanna! No pressure!” She continues as you don’t reply. “N-n-no! That’d be n-n-n-n-,” you sigh in frustration as you clench your fist. “Jesus Christ, can I please just speak like a normal person for once?” You think to yourself. A warm hand lands on your clenched one. You look into Azzi’s eyes as she sends you an encouraging nod. 

“Exchanging n-n-numbers would be n-nice,” you stammer, but you don’t break eye contact. The athlete grins as she grabs her phone and hands it to you. You try to suppress the disappointment that goes through you when Azzi takes her hand off of yours. You give her your own phone before quickly adding yourself as a new contact in hers. A tiny grin curls on your lips as you see hers. “Azzi 🏀👸🩷”

“I need to head off. ‘ve got practice soon, but we’ll talk, yeah?” The basketball player states as she starts getting up. You follow her lead, planning on leaving your own schoolwork for some other time. You think you deserve some time to relax after how well you’d done this afternoon. “Okay, good luck at p-p-practice,” you mumble with a grin. She sends one of her own in return, as well as a playful wink, before leaving. For a minute you stand still in the quiet coffee shop, your chest warm but light. 

The smile on your face doesn’t leave for the rest of the day.

You don’t hear from Azzi the next day, but you don’t mind. (Really, you didn’t. You just kept checking your phone to uh… see if your mom had any updates on her newest plants! Or maybe your dad needed some help with his e-mails again!). Maybe it would’ve been too good to be true. What are the chances an angel like her would want to befriend you?

The following day, you don’t expect anything, either. You figure Azzi just wanted to be polite and didn’t actually want to hang out again. You’re in the middle of writing a boring essay when your phone buzzes. You know you shouldn’t look, being well aware that you’ll get distracted and push aside your work. But what if you’d gotten an important message? You eye your phone for a few seconds before rolling your eyes and grabbing it. Your breath catches in your throat as you see it’s from your… friend? Acquaintance? From Azzi.

She sent a picture of her assignment with a few happy faces. The assignment has a big red A marked on the corner. Your heart fills with happiness at the fact that she let you know she did well. You quickly send a reply congratulating her, your homework completely forgotten. 

Azzi immediately sees the message and starts typing. You quickly close out of the messages as you bite your nail nervously. When your phone buzzes once more, you look at the text through your notification bar, too anxious to let her know you’re reading it.

“Do you have any classes left today?” The message reads. You open the app again as you reply, “Nope, what about you?” You press send before throwing your phone on the bed next to you as you get up and pace around. You were glad the brunette was texting you, but at the same time, it made your anxiety skyrocket.

Buzz buzz

“I’m free for the rest of the day” “Wanna get lunch together to celebrate? My treat, as a thanks”

Your cheeks blaze a bright red at the invitation. You quickly start replying. “Lunch sounds nice :) Also you really don’t have to do that! You already paid for my coffee!!” You bite your lip anxiously, scared you’re coming on too strong with the exclamation marks. “That was a thank you for explaining the assignment, this is a thank you for getting me an A 😁” You shake your head in amusement. “I’m not going to be able to change your mind, am I?”

A giggle escapes your mouth as you see her react with a 😛. Your smile drops when you read her next message. “Text me your dorm number, I’ll come pick you up” You freeze for a moment, realizing you’re about to hang out with a pretty girl for the second time this week, and this time, you had time to prepare. Sure, it wasn’t a lot of time, but enough to make you panic about how you can fix your appearance quickly to somewhat look okay. 

You text her your room number before getting up and running to your closet. You stumble out of your pajama pants while simultaneously trying to take off your coffee-stained shirt. You hurriedly put together an outfit that looks nice but doesn’t make it seem like you’re trying too hard. After a lot of tumbling and cursing, you finally finish getting dressed. You spin around your room a few times trying to locate your hairbrush while also attempting to put on your shoes.

Once you’re happy with your appearance, you sit down on your bed and take a deep breath. “Chill before you give yourself a panic attack,” you think to yourself. Once you’ve calmed down a bit, you walk over to your desk and grab everything you’ll need later. You take one last look around your room, making sure you’ve not forgotten anything, when you hear a knock on your door. You wipe your sweaty hands on your pants before making your way towards the door.

“Hi,” Azzi says with a beaming smile. “Hi,” you grin back. You lock your door behind you before making your way down the hall with the athlete beside you. “I honestly still can’t believe I got an A on that assignment. I didn’t even know Mr. Davis gave people A’s.” Azzi starts the conversation. 

“Yeah, he r-r-rarely gives out A’s, and f-f-f-for some r-r-r-reason h-h-h-e,” you huff in annoyance with how much you’re struggling to speak right now. You shake your head a little, letting the brunette know she can ignore you. You feel a familiar heat crawl up your face.

You knew this would happen. You were hanging out with someone you barely know, who is extremely pretty, and who is definitely way too cool to be your friend. It’s a surprise you’ve been able to say some words without stuttering, with the nerves you’re feeling.

“He what?” Azzi asks, looking at you with wide eyes, her head slightly tilted with interest. Your blush burns even brighter, but this time it’s not from embarrassment but rather the adoration you have for the taller girl. “H-he seems to h-h-h-,” you clear your throat, taking a quick glance at Azzi. She still has that easy, calming smile on her face as she listens to you. “hate to give p-p-people an A… Which d-d-doesn’t make sense, because he’s a t-t-teacher, so he should be happy that his s-s-s-students score well.”

You’re surprised with yourself. You try to avoid talking as much as you can, but with Azzi it’s different. She listens to you. Really listens to you. It makes you actually want to have proper conversations with her. Because she’s the only person outside of your family and speech therapist that doesn’t seem to judge you.

Azzi chuckles as she nods her head. “Yeah, it makes no sense at all. I hate teachers like that! Why become a professor if you’re gonna hate your job and students?” You send her a grin before looking away. You continue to listen to the athlete ramble about the professors she loves and hates, adding your own opinions as well. 

You spend hours with the girl. The lunch “date” spilling over into a walk around campus as you both enjoy each other’s company. You make sure to have a pit stop for ice cream, giving the employee your card before Azzi has the chance to pay again. When hours have passed, and the skies have become a mix of oranges, pinks, and purples, you finally decide to call it a day.

The brunette walks you back to your dorm before wishing you a goodnight with the promise of another hangout soon. You give her a tiny salute, regretting it immediately when you realize what you’re doing. Your regret melts away the second you hear Azzi’s sweet laugh, her eyes crinkling as she smiles widely. She shakes her head in amusement and adoration as she gives you a salute back before leaving. 

Not long after she’s gone, you get a message saying she made it to her dorm safely. You heart the message before getting ready for bed. Your chest feels warm with giddiness as you crawl underneath your blanket. Once you finally fall asleep, you dream of a beautiful, tall girl holding your hand as you walk on the beach, without a worry in the world.

The following weeks, you and Azzi text every day. You give each other updates on how classes are going, talk about your families, and laugh at each other’s silly stories. You even arrange some more hangouts. You’ve already made plans to meet up at the library to study together, the coffee shop to give life updates, and even your dorm for movie nights. 

Your heart feels light when your parents ring you for their scheduled video call. You tell them about the new friend you’ve made and how much you’ve been enjoying university lately. Your chest is free from the familiar ache, as you don’t have to lie to them for once. You’re in the middle of recounting your latest adventure with the tall girl when your phone buzzes. You pause your story for a moment, glancing at the message. “Is that her?” Your mom interrogates you with a tiny smirk. You roll your eyes at her, but you can’t hide the smile that’s growing on your face.

“Mhm,” you hum. “She wants to h-hang out later,” you reply as your eyes linger on your phone. “We’ll let you go then, sweetie,” your dad says with an affectionate wink. You’re glad they don’t tease you any longer, saying their goodbyes. The second your laptop screen goes dark, you snatch up your phone, typing a reply. “Sounds good!”

“Great! Would you mind if my team also comes over? They wanna meet you” Azzi replies. You feel a pit form in your stomach but feel a bit calmed when you see the next message come in. “You can totally say no! No pressure :)” You feel your heart swell two sizes as you read the comforting words. The brunette always made sure you were comfortable, never making you do anything you weren’t into. She always picked up on your anxiety the second you started feeling nervous. She’d even googled all the ways you can help someone out of a panic attack after learning you struggled with them sometimes.

Azzi is your first ever friend, and you’re extremely grateful to have her in your life. You hope you two will stay friends for a long time, which is why you hate yourself for falling for her. She can never find out. She’d probably finally realize that being your friend wasn’t a good idea, and then you’d be all alone again. 

You don’t realize you’ve zoned out until your phone buzzes again. “Y/N seriously, don’t worry about it! I can see you’ve read my messages and I know you’re probably freaking out but you don’t have to, I’ll tell them now isn’t a great time :))”

You immediately start typing back. “No no! I’d love to meet them too! When should I come over?” Azzi was right, of course, you were freaking out, but that didn’t mean you were going to let her cancel on her friends for you. Besides, you really did want to get to know the girls from Azzi’s stories. If they were as great as the brunette says they are, you had nothing to worry about. You’d also seen the team pass by on your TikTok plenty of times to know they were some of the funniest people you’ll ever meet.

“I’m just chilling rn, so whenever you’re free you can come over :) the girls won’t be here for another 2h so we can relax a little before then if you want? :D” You let her know you’ll be at her dorm in 10 minutes, not even letting yourself rethink anything. You quickly get ready, giving yourself a brief glance in the mirror before leaving.

When you knock on the athlete’s door, it opens almost immediately. Your heart skips a beat as you see Azzi’s dazzling smile. “Hey! Come in, come in!” She beams. You grin as you follow her to her room. She plops down on her bed, patting it to invite you in. She grabs her laptop, putting on a show you two had started a while ago but never really cared for that much. The taller girl knew you liked having something as background noise as you talked, so all the focus and pressure wouldn’t be on you. 

You’re in the middle of a story when you see Azzi’s expression shift. She’d been looking at you with wide, interested eyes and a tiny smile as she listened, but now her eyes look softer. You can almost see a hint of… adoration? In her eyes. Her smile looks more real too. “W-what?” You stutter as your ears start burning. 

The brunette shakes her head softly before saying, “I just… I’ve noticed you’ve started stuttering less when you’re with me.” Her voice is barely louder than a whisper, but you hear it perfectly fine with how close you two are sitting. You look down, trying to not let her see the blush on your face, but you know there’s no way she could miss it.

“Y-yeah, I guess I’ve just b-b-become more comfortable around you,” you mutter back before looking her in the eyes. You see Azzi’s own cheeks change into a different shade. As she opens her mouth to reply, a knock can be heard on the door. You both jump in surprise before the athlete gets up to go open the door. 

You can feel your heart pounding in your chest, and you’re not fully sure why that is. Is it because the team had arrived? Or is it because you only just noticed how close you and Azzi were sitting when you’d jumped apart?

You take a sip of water, trying to calm your nerves. As you’re putting the bottle down, KK and Paige bounce into the room. Azzi is quick to follow, settling back down beside you and sliding her hand over yours below the blanket. A few seconds later, the other girls walk in, but you’re too overwhelmed by Paige and KK to notice. You look like a startled deer as they excitedly introduce themselves, pushing their hands towards you to shake them. Azzi doesn’t hesitate to slap their hands away with an amused grin as she shakes her head. “Can you guys please be normal for once?” She asks, sending you a smile when she hears you chuckle at her friends’ chaos.

The excited girls pout as the rest of the team introduces themselves as well. You can already feel the nerves melt away by just being near them. They just have this aura that makes you feel comfortable. Once everyone is done, you introduce yourself as well. “H-h-hey, I’m-m Y/N, it’s nice to m-m-m-meet you guys.” 

You see KK’s eyes widen a little at your stutter before she looks over at Paige. The blonde immediately gives her a little push with a quick shake of her head. They’re subtle enough that no one else notices, but you’d grown up watching the people around you and blending in, so it wasn’t a surprise you’d caught their interaction. You send Paige a thankful smile, sending KK a grin as well to let her know you aren’t upset. You’re used to people giving you looks when they hear you stammer. You also know that the team didn’t mean anything bad by it, they probably just didn’t expect it.

The girls all find a spot to settle down in, some on the floor, some on the beanbag in the corner of the room, while KK sits on Azzi’s desk chair, spinning it in circles. As you all hang out, your smile never leaves your face. Have you ever laughed this much before? If you weren’t chuckling at Paige’s sass, you were laughing at KK’s dramatics. During the rare moments when they shut up, Nika’s voice fills the air as she teases the younger girls. The constant murmur of voices makes you feel a type of comfort you’ve never felt before.

Right now, you’re listening to a funny story Paige is telling as KK and Ice squabble in their corner of the room. You feel lighter than air with the relief of feeling like you finally fit in. Thankfully, Azzi is there to ground you. Somehow, you two have ended up fully leaning against each other, the brunette’s arm around your waist. You don’t know how you got here, but you weren’t complaining. 

You can feel yourself becoming a bright shade of red as Paige glances at Azzi’s hand on your hip before looking up at you and wiggling her eyebrows. You look down as you try to hide your blush and the smile that can’t seem to leave your face. Feeling the brunette squeeze your side, you look over at her with a raised eyebrow. She mouths the words, “Are you okay?” making sure you’re doing alright without alerting the others. You stare at her lips a moment longer than you should before sending her a tight-lipped smile and a nod. 

You quickly look back at Paige, checking to see if she’d noticed the whole interaction. The blue-eyed girl is already facing you with a smug look. You roll your eyes and stick your tongue out playfully, feeling a bit surprised at how at ease you feel, even after getting teased.

When the skies become a dark shade of gray, the team slowly starts dispersing. The girls all give you their number, demanding you all hang out again soon. Paige is the last to leave, sending you both a sleepy wave as she closes the door behind her. You don’t miss the sly wink she sends your way when Azzi turns towards you.

You sit up a bit straighter as you stretch your arms and crack your back. The brunette sends you a playful look of disgust, scrunching up her nose as she hears your joints pop. You give her a wide, innocent grin. “I should get g-going,” you sigh, not wanting to part with the girl just yet. “Stay,” Azzi says, her voice barely above a whisper. You look back at her, a little shocked at the request. Her brown eyes meet yours. Her shoulders look a little more tense than usual, but her face looks calm and steady. “Okay,” you whisper back.

Azzi’s shoulders immediately relax as she sends you a soft smile. She gets up and walks over to her closet, finding you something to wear. “Is this okay?” She asks, holding up a pair of her shorts and a shirt with her basketball number on it. “Mhm,” you hum, trying not to blush at the fact that you’ll be wearing her clothes, her number. 

After she hands you the clothes, you walk over to the bathroom and get ready for bed. You take an extra minute to let your face cool down after seeing yourself in the mirror. Once you’ve calmed down, you walk back into the bedroom and over to Azzi’s bed. The athlete’s eyes linger on you for a moment before she briskly walks into the bathroom to get ready herself. 

You don’t see the brunette’s reddened cheeks as she goes to hide. You can’t tell Azzi is splashing water in her face to calm down as her mind goes a million miles per hour at how cute you look in her clothes. You’re completely unaware of the fact that your crush is fully losing her mind about the fact that she has fallen for you. 

When Azzi returns, she crawls into the bed next to you, sliding down so you’re face to face. Your left hand is lying under your head, as your right lays between you two. She mimics your position before slowly sliding her hand into yours. Azzi sends you a soft smile, receiving one of your own in return. The smile doesn’t leave your face as you fall asleep staring at the angel in front of you.

When you wake up the next morning, the bed feels cold and empty. You frown a little as you get up. You pad over to the bathroom, scratching your head when you don’t see Azzi in there either. You swiftly get ready before making your way to the living room. You immediately see Paige and Azzi as they’re leaning over the kitchen counter. They’re both leaning in close, talking in hushed voices, before the blonde notices you in the doorway. She loudly clears her throat, straightening up as she exclaims, “Y/N! Good morning!”

“M-morning,” you say softly, sending Azzi a raised eyebrow. You wonder if something is wrong when she sends you an awkward smile that looks more like a grimace than anything. Noticing her look, Paige gives her a tiny push with her elbow before walking over to you. “So, do you have any classes today?” She asks. 

“Y-yeah, in an hour… I should probably head b-b-back to my dorm to get r-r-ready,” you reply as you grab your stuff. You give Azzi a questioning look as she awkwardly stands behind Paige, looking down at the floor.

“Okay, w-well… See you guys l-later, I guess,” you say as you give them a small wave before leaving. You hear Paige turn to Azzi and say, “Oh my God, bro,” as you close the door with a small frown. Did you do something wrong? Did she find out you have a crush on her, and did she hate you?

You barely pay attention to your classes, still too focused on the way Azzi was acting this morning. Around noon, she texts you, wishing you good luck in Mr. Davis’ class, like she always does. You feel a bit more at ease, figuring you’re probably overthinking stuff. The athlete sends you her usual good night message when she goes to bed, as well as a routine good morning. You let the weird morning fall to the back of your mind as you both continue everything like normal.

Your nerves flare up again when a few days pass and Azzi doesn’t text you anything other than a good morning. She doesn’t even look at the messages you send in return, though she usually replies within a few minutes. By the time it’s noon and hours have passed, you’re pacing your dorm so much, you think you might leave a walking trail on the carpet. You’re biting your nails, the pit in your stomach growing by the minute. Your mind is floating with thoughts of something having happened to her or her not wanting to be your friend anymore. 

You get shaken out of your thoughts when you hear a knock on the door. You quickly walk over, hoping it’s the girl you can’t stop thinking about. When you open the door, you lose your breath for a moment. In front of you, Azzi is standing, holding a bouquet of your favorite flowers. She swallows harshly, looking at you nervously but also with determination. 

She clears her throat a little, gripping the flowers a bit harder. “Hi,” she says. “Hi,” you breathe out, staring at her with wide eyes. “Listen, I… I really like you and… Damn it, I had this whole speech planned, but now that I’m here, I’m completely blanking,” she says as she starts frowning, looking at the floor. 

You take a step closer to her, now standing halfway into the hallway. “Azzi…” you whisper, biting your lip to stop yourself from smiling. She looks back up at you before taking a deep breath. “I really like you, and it’s completely fine if you don’t like me back, but… I was wondering if you wanted to go out with me?” She says, trusting the flowers forward. You take them with a wide smile. “I’d love t-that,” you reply.

Your heart skips another beat as her face brightens. She pulls you into a hug, squeezing you tightly while making sure not to crush the flowers. You wrap your arms around her waist as you put your face in the crook of her neck. Inhaling deeply, you relax into her hold. You pinch yourself, making sure you’re not dreaming, grinning even wider when you realize you’re not.

You let go of each other as you hear a “YES!” from a few feet away. You both look towards the end of the hallway, seeing Paige peeking around the corner. The girl’s eyes widen as she quickly moves back behind the wall. You giggle as Azzi huffs. “I swear that girl cannot be normal.” “HEY!” The blonde yells back but doesn’t show herself. “Nor can she be subtle!” Azzi raises her voice. “Sorry!” Paige apologizes before you hear her retreating footsteps.

You grin up at Azzi, who’s rolling her eyes in amusement. “Sorry about that. I practiced my speech with her and told her to stay in our dorm, but she’s Paige, so she didn’t listen.” You shake your head, your eyes twinkling in entertainment as you pull the brunette into your dorm. 

You two have a date to plan, after all.

[bapeach]

You should write stolen kisses with everything the same but change nika to Paige please!

Paige's version is up! I hope this is okay :) If this isn't what you meant, let me know and I'll see what I can do :D