joaniscruzing

[joaniscruzing]

FIC HAS BEEN POSTED!!!!!

GO HYPE IT UPP I LOVED WRITING THIS!!

hello !! i was wondering if you could potentially write knight!hazel x princess!reader ??? it can be fluff, smut, idc, i would LOVE to see what you could do with the concept, TYSM !! have a great day !!

GUYS hear me out like princess!reader has to meet all her suitors but knight!hazel rejects them all and is like "you're not good enough for my princess"

AND THEN THERE'S LIKE ANGST BEFORE THEY KISS ANF HHUIGRHUGIRIEH

anon i love you for this request and i hope you have an amazing day yourself!!!

comment for taglist!!!

[joaniscruzing]

back to friends - h.c.

before we start; YES. i know this picture is actually kit tanthalos and NOT hazel callahan. i just thought this fit the request/story better. (thank you anon ily)

ALAS I AM BACK IN THE HAZEL CALLAHAN FIC WORLD. missed y'all, it's been a minute. per usual, requests are ALWAYS welcome, i love hearing what y'all have in your heads for fic ideas <3

if you're also following off the record, MY BAD GUYS, I'M TRYING TO WRITE CHAPTER 3 AS WE SPEAK!!

summary: your knight and childhood best friend, hazel, has to watch you look for a suitor, but does she keep her mouth shut?

contains: angst, some homophobia, 'back to friends' by sombr references, kissing, friends to lovers, knight!hazel, princess!reader.

You had known Hazel for years. Both of you had been best friends in your formative years, as you were both top-scoring students at the academy, and to your joy, when you were officially crowned as princess, Hazel was assigned to be your personal guard. Since then, you both had spent many hours together, and your friendship had only grown. However, you knew that your days with her as ‘best friends’ would soon be ending, for the fact that you mother had broken it to you over dinner that you’d be choosing a suitor soon.

“What?” you yelled, choking on the exquisite piece of chicken you had just taken a bite out of.

“The decision is final. You need to grow up and start preparing for when your father and I pass.”

You tilted your head for a second. You knew that what your mother was saying was somewhat realistic. But, on the other hand, it seemed nearly outlandish that you were to be married soon.

That being said, that night with Hazel was a somber one.

You sat there in your plain nightgown, handkerchiefs surrounding you as you sobbed about your fate.

“I just don’t get it, Hazel!” you exclaimed in between sobs, “Do I really need to get married like this?”

Hazel fiddled with the edge of the pink fabric of your canopy bed, deep in thought.

“Hazel?”

She snapped out of her deep thoughts, shaking her head.

“Sorry, I was just thinking.”

“About what?”

“Nothing.”

“Hazel, I know that when you say ‘nothing,’ you usually have something going on. Talk to me.”

“I just, I want to help, but I don’t know how. And I’m angry because of that.”

You scooched closer to Hazel, brushing aside some handkerchiefs on the floor. You then rested your head on her shoulder, which caused her to put her arm around you and rub your arm with her thumb.

“I’ll figure it out, I promise.”

You knew she would.

💮

The next day, you woke up next to Hazel, who had offered to have a sleepover with you that night, so you could stay calm throughout the night. Your mother burst through the door, snapping her fingers and causing a ruckus.

“Come on, get up, both of you! We have the meeting of the suitors today, and both of you need to be there!”

You groaned and rolled over onto Hazel’s chest, where she pushed you over. You shot up and dramatically played an act of offense before your mother whisked you away to get ready. A whirlwind of hair, makeup, and pins being stuck in uncomfortable places left you even more nervous for the event about to occur.

To your relief, though, Hazel was standing at your throne, there to protect you in case any of the men you met got a bit too handsy.

“I mean it when I say that you need to pretend that Hazel is someone you’ve never met today,” your mother whispered in your ear, “the last thing I need is these men asking me if you’re some sort of plebian empathetic.”

“Hazel’s no plebian!” you whispered back, adjusting your dress aggressively.

“Just do what I say,” your mother retorted as you reached the throne.

You nodded in agreement as you sat on the throne, fixing your hair and dress.

“You okay?” Hazel asked, effortlessly reading the look of stress on your face.

“As okay as a bird who flew into a window!” you joked back, smiling.

“They’re beginning to file in!” your mother called, giving you a look.

Unfortunately, you now would have to be indifferent to any of Hazel’s comments. As if she was someone you never met.

For the five hours that you sat in the throne, no man interested you. All of them either had too-big egos, or were too nervous to speak to you. Even Hazel was beginning to feel your pain; she was beginning to dismiss the guys harsher and harsher.

Specifically, there was this one man who was an absolute troll.

“Well, when we get married, you can always cook for me, princess,” he said with a smug smile on his face.

“What else?” you answered, trying to maintain your composure.

“You can rub my back, and-”

“Alright, next!” Hazel called, pulling the man away from you, “she’s supposed to be your wife, not your servant.”

“And what are you supposed to know about marriage? You’re just a lowly knight,” the man spat back.

“I might not know everything about marriage, but I know that you’re not good enough for the princess.”

The man rolled his eyes in defeat and walked away with a swift push from Hazel. After, her snide comments began to meet every man that you met. And you couldn’t do anything, either, because your mother told you not to even acknowledge her. 

“I’m sorry, was that your attempt at wooing?”

“Didn’t you fail mathematics at the royal academy?”

“You’re an adultery case waiting to happen.”

All of a sudden, this nearly-perfect man entered the room. He was clean-shaven, tall, confident, and everything else that the other men weren’t.

“How are you today, your highness?” he asked, kissing your hand. Although you felt nothing, you knew he was a good man.

You ended up talking with him the most out of any man you had met that day. He mentioned nothing about you serving him, made respectable compliments, and treated you with pure kindness.

“Alright, next!” Hazel called.

“We’re not done talking, is it okay if we have five more minutes?” the man asked to Hazel.

“No, you’re obviously not good enough for my princess.”

That was what forced you to crack.

“What?”

Hazel’s face reddened, finally realizing the weight of her words. “It’s- no-”

The man you had just been talking to had run away by now.

“Hazel, you know I need to get married. And he was a good guy!”

“He didn’t even make you blush! Don’t you want to love who you marry?”

“Oh trust me, I do, but that part’s been a bit rushed.”

“I don’t see how the loving part’s been rushed.”

“Hazel, you’re being ridiculous.”

“It’s nearly obvious that we aren’t just friends! I mean, how can we just go back to being friends when we just shared a bed last night?”

“What?”

“And then you come here, and it’s like I’m someone you’ve never met.”

“My mother told me I had to! You think I’d choose to be like this? Not speaking with you?”

“Just, be honest with me. Is it just me, or am I feeling something more than just friends lately?”

You looked down at your skirt, playing with the fabric. She had a point. Lately, there had been more lingering glances, and accidental touches, and longer hugs between the two of you.

You wanted to say that you had felt it too. That you were sorry for not realizing that maybe she was the person you wanted to marry, and that was why you had maybe been in shock when you were informed about the news.

Instead, you heard the words “you know that’s just how we are” come out of your mouth. You immediately regretted it. Just as Hazel fled out of the room, you exited, following her. Unfortunately, your heavy dress was a lot to run with, and you couldn’t catch up to her.

“Where’s Hazel?” your mother asked when you returned.

“Oh, she just had some stomach troubles,” you lied, returning to your throne. The rest of the night was a long one, filled with nothing but more boring conversations with average men.

That night, you hatched a plan. You decided to sneak into her sleeping quarters that night, tell her how you really felt, and figure out what to do about it with her.

Your plan was immediately foiled when you opened the door to Hazel sitting on your bed.

“Why are you here?” you asked, confused.

“I’m leaving.”

“Hazel!”

“Look, I know that this is going to ruin our friendship, but watching you with those other guys made me realize that I’m not going to be able to stand seeing you with another man for the rest of my life. I know that you don’t feel the same but-”

“Hazel,” you said, sitting down next to her.

And then you kissed her. The kiss was frantic and frenzied, as your hands struggled to begin holding each other during the exchange. After a few more kisses, Hazel finally pulled away.

“What are we going to do?”

“I don’t know,” you admitted, “but whatever happens, I want it to be with you.”

That night, you and Hazel packed your things and escaped the castle, running like your lives depended on it. You both knew that your community wouldn’t accept you both in the kingdom, so why not seek somewhere where you were?

You started a life together, filled with moments as happy as the ones you both had shared growing up.

Needless to say, you were forever grateful that you and Hazel chose to not just go back to being friends, despite the implications for both of your lives.

taglist - @havkjhdecs @slaytillieswooo @moesthoughts

[joaniscruzing]

𓈒ིུ ׄ݁ ᩙ ❤︎ lace dividers ‧̥˚̩̩̥͙ ✧

[joaniscruzing]

hello !! i was wondering if you could potentially write knight!hazel x princess!reader ??? it can be fluff, smut, idc, i would LOVE to see what you could do with the concept, TYSM !! have a great day !!

GUYS hear me out like princess!reader has to meet all her suitors but knight!hazel rejects them all and is like "you're not good enough for my princess"

AND THEN THERE'S LIKE ANGST BEFORE THEY KISS ANF HHUIGRHUGIRIEH

anon i love you for this request and i hope you have an amazing day yourself!!!

comment for taglist!!!

[joaniscruzing]

posting this masterpiece.

whoever made this on tiktok, I love you.

the peoples princess frfr

[joaniscruzing]

⋆˙⟡ Dividers I made that didn't quite make the cut + more ୭ ˚. ᵎᵎ

⋆˙⟡ Credits//Sources!!: ✿, ✿, ✿, ✿, ✿, ✿, ✿, ✿, ✿, ✿ ⟡˙⋆

[joaniscruzing]

i present to you our final…nonchalant…boss…

[joaniscruzing]

off the record: ch.2

HELLOOOOOOO EVERYONEEEEE

thought i'd post one last chapter tonight.... MORE PAIGE X READER ACTION IN THIS ONE!!!

summary: you and paige get closer as the preseason continues. despite your worries, your early relationship with her is actually working out?

warnings: worrying about work, a bit of angst, kissing, lots of banter, I TALKED ABT PAIGE AND HER IPAD A BIT, also shay being iconic

That night, you rushed to your hotel room and binge-watched Paige’s edits. You weren’t really the one to have celebrity crushes, but the one you were having was growing by the minute. Every edit you watched of her was just adding fuel to your growing fire of feeling for her. And you hated it. 

You knew that if you ended up with any professional entanglements, you would have to report them to your boss, which wouldn’t be a good look for you as an aspiring journalist.

All they’ll see when they look at me is ‘Oh look, she dated the first person she interviewed.’ ‘Oh look, she’s a slut.’ ‘Oh look, she’s not professional.’

To put it bluntly, you were about to ask to never interview Paige Bueckers ever again. Fortunately, you had about two weeks until you had to fly out to Arlington, Texas to interview her at the College Park center. Your boss wanted you to become better accustomed to the art of sports interviewing, so, in between, you were assigned to various preseason games, including with the Los Angeles Sparks, Connecticut Sky, and Seattle Storm. Between your traveling, interviewing, and endless work, you were pretty much booked each day, giving you no time to think of Paige.

The next game still did roll around, even if it did feel like it snuck up on you, and you felt more confident than ever. You were finally getting the hang of being on TV, and you were, for once, photogenic in every interview. You were able to confidently interview any player they assigned you, with not nearly as much anxiety as your first interview with Paige. If anything, you felt ready for your next game with the Dallas Wings.

The day itself was very hectic. You woke up to the apparent lack of air conditioning in your hot Texas hotel room, and immediately felt the need to start getting ready. You kept reassuring yourself that the interview with Paige wouldn’t be flirty, and that you wouldn’t be growing any kind of relationship with her, even if you were just a new friend for her. Unfortunately, Shay did pick up on your anxiety for the day, and boy, did she know what was going on.

“Nervous for today?” she asked while beating a beauty blender onto your face.

“I guess,” you nervously replied, playing with your hands simultaneously, “I didn’t think I’d be nervous today, especially with all the extra work I’ve been doing.”

“You sure you’re not dreading seeing a SPECIFIC someone?”

You sighed. “I just feel like my conversations with Paige, you know, the ones I was telling you about, were a bit TOO unprofessional. I’m embarrassed.”

“You sure it’s not another reason?”

“Okay, okay. So I may have gone back to the hotel and seen basically any video of her online. And I may have found her attractive. But I got over the crush rather quickly.”

“I don’t think you did, hun,” Shay says, giggling, “I’ve only put on your foundation and concealer, and I can see you blushing through the makeup.”

“What am I going to do?” you asked, fretful.

“Okay. Here’s what I’m going to do,” Shay asserted, trying to comfort you, “I’m going to make your hair and makeup extra nice today. And if she says anything before or after the interview, you’ll tell me, and we’ll deal with this together. Although, I don’t think ESPN will be horrified if anything happens. Just… no PDA on camera.”

“Oh my god! Who do you think I am?” you gasped, letting out a laugh.

۝

The night of the game finally came, and you were ready for whatever came at you.

Thank fuck that you weren’t in charge of covering the practice, because on your way to the practice, you saw on your Instagram, she was wearing some black tank top that really excentuated her biceps, and you swore you could feel your stomach flip.

“Welcome to the WNBA preseason game of the Dallas Wings vs. the Toyota Antelopes!” you called to the camera, a trained smile on your face.

As you continued to ramble off whatever was on the teleprompter, you caught Paige in the corner of your eye. She had a slick-back, along with her usual Wings attire, and you almost stopped your ramblings just to marvel at the blonde beauty in front of you. You decided to pay no attention to it, as you were, after all, still at your workplace. However, when you finished the opening statement, you looked around, trying to sneak a glance of her, and you saw her look away.

You’re kidding.

You tried to shake off the fact that your basketball crush was, in fact, checking you out, and quickly scurried off into the box, which was assigned for ESPN. You took your usual notes, preparing any questions you needed to, and, very quickly, halftime came.

You walked up to Paige, trying to illuminate any sort of professionality that you could.

“Oh sweet, you’re interviewing again?” she asked, a smile lighting up her face.

“You bet!” you replied awkwardly, “How’s Texas been?”

“Hot is one of my top words for that,” she said, “but I’m getting more and more used to it each day, and that’s all I could really ask for, so I’m grateful for that.”

“Of course, yeah.”

“And how has the job been treating you, little miss ESPN interviewer? I saw you at Aubrey’s game.”

It took a second for your brain to actually respond to that last statement before you finally answered, “Very tiring, but I’m just glad I’m doing something news-related this summer.”

“We’re kind of twinning with that, huh?” Paige retorted, wiping some sweat off of her forehead.

“With what?”

“You know, being in new places, becoming accustomed to the new environment and all.”

“I guess you’re right,” you answer, smiling, “crazy, right?”

“Yeah, for sure,” she said, smiling.

The way she was smiling at you was truly like no other. Her eyes lit up, and the blueness in her eyes sparkled, overall brightening her face. It was as if her face was literal sunshine. Her smile itself was almost dopey, like a little kid’s. You felt as if you were the only girl in the room with the way she looked at you.

Although your stomach was flip-flopping like crazy, deep down, it pained you that this was as far as it was going to go. Just these lingering glances and love-filled smiles, and then never speaking again after this summer.

You barely registered the interview that you conducted with her; they were nothing for you to do now. You were also extremely bothered by your looming thoughts.

It’s not going to happen. Calm down.

You quickly said goodbye to her, trying to get out of the situation as quickly as you could, when you felt a tap on your shoulder.

“Hey!” the blonde called, grabbing your attention immediately.

“Paige!” you said, forcing a smile, “What’s up?”

“We’re about to go celebrate the win, want to join us?” she seemed genuine, especially with how she was looking at you.

Like you were the only girl in the room.

You decided to think for a moment. You wouldn’t have any more games to cover for the next few days, and you really didn’t have anything better to do.

“Sure, why not?”

“Bet! Meet us at this place in about two hours. I’ll send you the addy after press.”

“Oh, okay! Here, I’ll give you my phone number so you can send it.”

Paige takes your phone, excitedly typing in her number. She types a message on it so she knows it’s you, and hands it back.

“See you soon!” you said, trying to hide a goofy smile on your face.

Paige waved back at you, typing a message into her phone as she regressed to the locker room along with her teammates. You quickly gathered your things and called Shay in a panic, begging her to help you out with an outfit.

“What happened to ‘staying professional,’ babes? Huh?” she teased over the phone.

“You were the one who made my makeup extra pretty today! What am I going to tell Angelica? ‘Oh yeah, I accidentally FUCKED Paige fucking Bueckers last night, and I can’t ever interview her or go near the Wings again, so you’re going to have to switch the team I’m covering!?’ I’m going to be BLACKLISTED for professional entanglements, and then I’m going to NEVER get a job that I want ever again!”

“Okay. So after I did your hair and makeup, I did contact Angelica and ask her.”

“WHAT?”

“LET ME FINISH! I said that you sensed some chemistry with Paige and that you were unsure of how to handle it professionally. And she told me that you CAN explore a relationship with her, but it just cannot get to the point where it’s made public, at least before you finish your summer job.”

“Wait, really?” you asked, breathing out a sigh of relief.

“She even told me to tell you, and I quote, ‘best of luck with the golden rookie.”

You smiled to yourself, chuckling at the statement.

“Please, for the love of everything that is holy, come over right now.”

“Alright, alright!” Shay yelled through the phone, “Just get back to the hotel!”

You say a quick goodbye and hang up, and then look at Paige’s message to save the address. To your surprise, she also sends a cockily written message following it, reading

Wear something nice. Thinking of showing you around Dallas 🔥

Of course she tells you to wear something “nice.” But given her style, you feared you may end up disappointing her.

A very rushed hair and makeup routine, along with a panicked search for an outfit left you playing some Clairo in the car while you drove to the bar.

You really didn’t want to mess this up.

To your surprise, though, when you walked in, Paige came up to you, eyeing you up and down. Not in the way others had looked at you, like you were their next meal.

Like you were the prettiest thing she had ever seen.

She walked up to you, putting an arm around you, and guiding you to the table with her teammates. She introduced you, smiling bigger than ever.

“Oh, okay P, you brought the interviewer. Very professional,” DiJonai commented, smirking.

“Mmmhmm,” Arike added, trying to stifle a giggle.

“C’mon guys, be nice,” Paige groaned, letting you slide into the booth first. She slid in next to you, and then asked you in a quieter voice,

“What drinks do you like?”

You just asked for a virgin Shirley Temple, as you were pretty tired, and didn’t want to drink too much; if you said anything to Paige while drunk, you’d be done for.

“Have you been doing your research on me or something?” Paige asked, still maintaining that damn eye contact with you, “I love Shirley Temples.”

“Don’t get cocky,” you teased, “I just wanted an objectionally good drink that wouldn’t leave me passed out later.”

“No need to get defensive,” she said, chuckling a bit, “unless you HAVE been doing your research.”

“Well, I have been assigned to interview you. How do you think I come up with my unique questions, Bueckers?”

Paige smirked and then continued her conversation with her team. You were able to answer a few questions that her teammates had about sports journalism, but mostly, you were quiet for a majority of the night, sipping on your Shirley Temple. Luckily, however, the rest of the Dallas Wings began to leave the premises, one by one, until you were left with Paige—and Paige only.

“So, are too tired to get a tour around Dallas or what?” Paige asked.

“I guess not,” you answered jokingly, with a dramatic sigh.

“Are you sure? It’s been a long night. We can do this another day, that is, if you even want to,” Paige replied, a hint of concern in her voice.

“I’m kidding, of course I’m not tired,” you responded, “I’ve been looking forward to that tour all night.”

Paige smiled and got out of the booth, holding out her hand.

“Shall we, then?” she asked, like the swoonworthy male characters you would read about in romance books growing up. Up until now, you had thought that you’d never get this whirlwind romance, at least one you wouldn’t care about this much.

You had known that you would never be as blown away by a man than a woman.

“Sure,” you said, giggling and taking her hand.

You both exited the bar, hand in hand, beginning to finally warm up to each other, not as colleagues, not as friends, but something more.

“Welcome to the Paige Bueckers official tour of Dallas, Texas! Today, due to the EXTREMELY late hour, you’ll be seeing… city lights, and some BEAUTIFUL parks!”

“Wow, I’m so honored! How long have you been in Dallas again?”

“Doesn’t matter, I did extensive research.”

“On your iPad?”

“How else would I be doing proper extensive research?”

“Paige, be honest with me, is the iPad here with us right now?”

“You’re going to use this against me, aren’t you?” Paige said, acting dramatically offended.

“Do you know how many times my boss texted me today, SCRUTINIZING me for not asking about that damn purple iPad of yours?”

“I mean, she needs more attention.”

“Paige, have you named your iPad?”

“And WHY would I tell you that?”

Now it was time for you to at least radiate some confidence.

“Because you want me to keep on coming and interviewing you.”

By now, the two of you had entered the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden, and you were under this walkway, trees lining both sides. Beautiful yellow lights were wound all around the trees, which just made Paige look happier.

Prettier.

Like she was the sun.

Paige moved in closer to you, looking down at you with her big blue eyes.

“I do want that,” she said in a low, borderline-whispering voice.

“Me too,” you expressed back with the same volume level.

Her hands found their way around your waist, her thumbs rubbing circles slowly. She began to lean in, keeping her eyes open in case you were about to pull away. Your faces were centimeters from each other, eyeing each other’s lips like asking a silent question. You reached your hand to the back of Paige’s head to pull her in.

“Wait, sorry to interrupt!”

Some fan had tapped Paige’s shoulder, breaking the moment between you two. She asked for a photo, which you begrudgingly took, and then watched as she ran away, giddy and full of joy.

You finally turn around to Paige, who’s already walking towards you.

“Can I kiss you?” she asked, that gummy smile of hers filling her face.

“Took you long enough.”

She cupped your face this time, while you pulled her in by her chains. Out of any time you had ever kissed anybody, this one didn’t feel sexual or hungry at all. It just felt right.

It felt like there were people running around with sparklers around both of you.

She kissed the way she looked at you.

You finally broke the kiss, looking up at her, panting, even though the kiss wasn’t fast at all.

“I named my iPad Lyla.”

“LYLA!?” 

“Yeah, it’s short for lilac, which’s my favorite color, and my iPad case is lilac, so, yeah.”

You burst out into laughter, resting a hand on Paige’s shoulder.

“What? It was a well-thought-out, fitting name for my iPad!”

“Paige, you have no idea how funny you are.”

“I get enough ridicule for my immense love for my iPad, okay?”

“Paige. You’re safe. I’ll keep this one off the record.”

“Yeah?”

“Anything we say that’s off the court is for our ears only.”

Paige smiles. “Are you implying we have a chance of meeting off-court again?”

“Only if you’re down, Bueckers.”

The night continued, with some touring of the metropolitan area, while she marveled at the beautiful sights ahead of her.

“And uhh, right here, is the Reunion Tower!”

You looked up at the tall tower, engulfed in twinkling blue lights that amazed you greatly.

“This is beautiful, Paige.”

“I’m glad you like it! It’s prettier than the photos I saw.”

A moment settles between the two of you. You both know that you need to go to your respective abodes, but neither of you want to leave. If either of you could stay in this moment forever, you’d snatch the opportunity and run with it like Pheidippides at the Battle of Marathon.

Paige, who was still next to you, wrapped her hand around your waist, whispers in your ear, “I don’t wanna leave.”

“Me neither,” you replied, resting your head on her arm, “but I need to leave soon.”

“Lemme take you home, please,” she begged, rubbing her thumb on your waist with slow motions.

“Okay,” you said.

The car ride back was a quiet one, even though a soft conversation took place during the ride. It wasn’t anything too wild, just discussion of plans for a second date—you both wanted to consider this a date, and you wanted to go on another—and some talk about your days tomorrow. You planned to FaceTime her tomorrow night, to at least get to know each other better instead of communicating with stolen glances and awkward conversation.

Paige finally made it to the hotel, stopping at the entrance.

“Talk to you tomorrow?”

“Of course.”

A moment settled between you both, the chemistry between the two of you sizzling like bacon.

Paige leaned over the middle of the car, her eyes flickering down to your lips.

“I’ll look forward to your call.”

“Me too,” you replied, leaning in, close enough for your faces to be touching if either of you desired.

She cradled your cheek with one of her big, strong hands, leaning in to kiss you one more time.

A few kisses were exchanged between the two of you, before you both started to giggle like crazy.

“I really do need to go, Paige,” you managed to get out between giggles.

“Then stop being so damn distracting,” she answered, looking up at the night sky.

“You’re the one with your little ‘please don’t go’s’ and kiss initiations!”

“And yet, you still play into it, babe.”

“Bye, Paige.”

“You’re really going to leave me here?”

“Go hit the gym if you’re not tired!” you said while exiting the car, “You’ve got the game against the Lynx next week!”

“I’m going tomorrow!”

“Then go home and rest, sleepyhead.”

“And I can’t sleep with you?”

You raised an eyebrow at her, smirking.

“Not like that, bro, just like, sleeping.”

“I can’t have my hair stylist walking into that, nope. I still need to tell her how this went.”

“So you’re reporting back to her?” she asked cheekily.

“She was the one who said I shouldn’t be hesitant to go out with you tonight.”

“She seems pretty smart, then. I’m a pretty good time.”

“You’re annoying.”

“That too,” Paige admitted while shrugging.

“Bye, Paige.”

“Bye.”

You smiled as you approached the front door of the hotel, and you were glad that she was waiting until you were inside the building, and far past her eyesight inside the windows before leaving. You couldn’t believe how caring she really was, despite her teammate’s constant talk about it.

Nevertheless, you fell asleep a very happy camper, dreaming of any future you might just be able to salvage with Paige.

taglist: @asapeveryday @moesthoughts

[joaniscruzing]

off the record - ch.1

HELLOOOOO everyone! i am BACK from a long break with a fic! yay!

i realized very quickly that this fic was going to be a long one, so i thought i'd break it up into parts. CURRENTLY, there's another 4k in my google doc rn, but i thought "hey, why not get some interest going?"

anyway!!! comment to be tagged in the next chapter, and let me know how you like it! i love feedback!

special thanks to @moesthoughts for proofreading!

summary: you're offered a summer job at ESPN as a sports reporter and get paired up with paige.

warnings: nothing scandalous, i'd say there's a lot of world-building in this chapter? i added a few ocs in this fic just because it felt wrong just getting into it. I'll add a divider for where the paige stuff begins for those who are eager. I PROMISE THOUGH, THE REST OF THE FIC DOESN'T HAVE THIS MUCH EXTRA DETAILS.

enjoy babes 😘

You quickly gulped down some coffee before brushing your teeth for school. It was mid-April, and you had quite the daunting task for you: finding a summer internship.

“Hey, don’t sweat this,” your college roommate Anya reassured you, “you look the most professional I’ve ever seen you in the three years I’ve known you, and I just know you have a hell of an elevator pitch ready to go, yeah?”

You nodded. “Yeah, I guess! I just really need to be ready, you know? AI’s really taking off, and if I’m not on my game, they’ll probably give my job to a robot or something!”

“Alright,” Anya answered, chuckling, “haven’t you made the dean’s list every semester? And haven’t you been editor of our paper since last year, being the youngest editor of the paper in our college? You’ve got this! I mean it.”

“Thanks, Anya,” you said, smiling and taking a deep breath.

 “Wish me luck!” you exclaimed as you exited your shared apartment. To avoid being late, you scurry off to your car, quickly putting your bag in the passenger seat and turning on the radio. You put on a news station, hoping to find some things to make small talk about at the career fair, which, lucky for you, was about half an hour away.

Why did this apartment have to be the best one Anya and I could afford? You thought to yourself while exiting the parking lot of your apartment complex. As the car ride went on,, your thoughts about theapartment location drifted away, you began to think about the road, and whatever your news station was rambling about.

“-And to all of you women’s sports fans out there, last night was a BIG night for UCONN’s Paige Bueckers! The 23-year-old NCAA champion was the first overall draft pick and will be joining the Dallas Wings for the next WNBA season!”

You weren’t super into sports yourself, but you knew about Paige Bueckers. A Connecticut native yourself, you grew up with your parents usually tuning into the UCONN basketball games, both men’s and women’s. Hell, you were brought to the last championship parade for the women’s basketball team back in 2016. Your dad had sent you an Instagram post a few days ago with some highlights featuring Paige Bueckers, to which you had just liked and moved on with your day. You heard through the grapevine that some representatives from ESPN would be at your career fair, but you weren’t necessarily crazed at the thought of it. In fact, you were hoping to land an internship at the New York Times, where you would be helping others deliver the most topical headlines of the day.

Although you knew you wouldn’t need it, you still kept the small fact you had learned about Paige Bueckers in the back of your head, just in case you blanked out on your very-prepared speech you had.

Just then, you pulled into your college’s local arena, where your summer endeavors were soon to be discovered. You popped one, two, three mints in your mouth and touched up your makeup in your car mirror. If anyone was going to get an internship today, it was going to be you, the biggest academic weapon at your college. 

After a few pep talks, you finally exited your car and walked into the overly air-conditioned arena, then being met by a daunting array of tables, all with one collective thing to offer: your future.

You understood that the position at the New York Times was going to be a popular choice among your peers, so you made a beeline to the small table that they were occupying. After, you began the long wait, which wasn’t that bad. In fact, you were thankful for the time you had to recite your pitch and pull yourself together.

About forty-five minutes passed, and you finally made it to the front of the line.

This is it. You’ve got this, you thought to yourself.

“Hi! My name is-”

“Let me guess, you want the internship?” you heard, immediately cut off by the man working the table.

“I’m definitely interested! I believe that I’d be a GREAT pick, and here’s why: I’m currently-”

“As much as I’d love to hear about your long list of qualifications, we already found someone to fill the position. I’m sorry. But if you’d like, you can always apply to be an assistant this summer. You know. Getting coffee and whatnot,” the man said, giving you a smug smile.

Your stomach dropped. 

An assistant? Getting coffee? You took the application, as it was still an opportunity, but so many other thoughts swirled around your head.

Three years and for what? To be brushed off like that? What’s even worse, by a man? You thought to yourself as you left to get some fresh air. You knew you would have to go back in there, as there were probably numerous other internships you could acquire. There was the Washington Post, CNN, NBC, and so many more that were just running through your head, as fast as a racecar going cross-country on an empty highway.

After a mini-crashout in your car, a small drink of water, and a quick phone call with Anya, you felt ready enough to enter the arena again. You weren’t going to leave that parking lot without an internship that was equal to your abilities. No man was going to tell you that the internship you were going to get would involve fetching coffee.

You confidently strided back into the arena, where you were met by the overwhelming array of tables. Unwilling to allow it to ruin your conviction in your abilities, you chose to examine each table.  Luckily, you were met with a few companies that were willing to hire you, and even went as far as to give you their card. Just as you were about to leave, you heard a voice yelling out.

“Hey! You! Don’t leave!”

“Me?” you turnedaround, pointing at yourself.

“Yes!” The tall woman who was chasing you down finally stopped running. After dusting herself off and adjusting her hair, she addressed you.

“I heard you at the career fair today. And I mean it, you are exactly what we are looking for.”

“Who?”

“Oh, pardon me. I’m from ESPN. After a short phone call with my boss, we’d like to offer you a summer job.”

Just the word “job” made your eyes bulge out of your head. You were flabbergasted to say the least. You were confident you’d exit with an internship, but a job? And at ESPN, to make things better.

“Really?” you spoke, trying to conceal your excitement.

“Yes! Don’t worry, the interview process would be waived for you, as this is super last minute, but you would have to attend media training for the next few weeks,” the woman explained, stepping aside with you to continue the conversation.

“Media training? Like, I would be on TV?”

“Yes! You’re going to be assigned to cover the entirety of the 2025 WNBA season. Hopefully, you’ll be good to go at the beginning of May. That’s when preseason starts.”

“I’m sorry, the WNBA?” you pinched your arm, trying to wake yourself up from whatever bizarre dream this was.

“Yes! Although it isn’t an extremely followed league, our team is expecting another rise in viewership this season.”

“Really?” you asked, intrigued, “I swear viewership for women’s sports has been the same for my whole lifespan.”

“You follow women’s sports?”

“My parents do, at least. They’re big UCONN fans,” you answered. A nanosecond after, you remembered what you heard in the car. Oh, you were in for a long conversation after your last statement.

“UCONN, huh?” your new employer asked, “So I’m sure you’ve been hearing about Paige Bueckers a lot recently.”

“Oh yeah, she got the first draft pick last night! Dallas Wings, right?” Thank god for that local news station.

“Oh, don’t tell me you’re a superfan, right?”

“Oh, don’t worry, I heard it on the radio this morning.” Your new employer smiled at your comment, and handed you her card.

Angelica Hastings. That would be a name you’d remember for decades. After all, she was now the first person to support you in your official professional journalism journey.

“Well, you have the job! Be prepared to be immersed in the world of women’s basketball this summer!” Angelica said, shaking your hand. You quickly gave her your business card and left for your car. Only God knew what surprises this summer held for you.

۝

About an hour later, you finally made it back to your shared apartment with Anya. You nearly twisted your ankle running up the stairs to tell her the news.

“ESPN???” she exclaimed, almost as astounded as you were.

“YES! And I get paid! The only bad news is I need to cram for finals, as I need to start media training in two weeks.”

“Well, looks like you’ve got to get cramming.”

The next two weeks flew by. Between packing, contract signing, and finals, you had almost no room to breathe. What’s more, you took it upon yourself to begin researching all of the top new rookies in the WNBA, as Angelica had told you that you’d probably be interviewing or covering them most of the time—or at least when it got to more niche stories. There was Hailey Van Lith at Chicago Sky, who seemed to be doing pretty well for herself. There was Kiki Iriafen, who was one of the best forwards in the country, at the Washington Mystics. And obviously, there was Paige Bueckers. You assumed as a new woman to the job, that she would be off-limits to you, given that she quite literally was the face of women’s basketball rookies at the moment, so you chose to focus on other players. After all, you were sure that you would be learning all about the star guard in your first hours of work.

The second you finished your finals, you said a very quick goodbye to Anya, promising her to call her every night that you’d be gone, and then you tookyour bags—which had been packed for weeks—and drove off to your first location: Bristol, Connecticut, the very headquarters of ESPN. After checking in to the hotel that they provided you, you quickly changed into your professional wear and entered the building. You checked in at the front desk, asking for Angelica, who guided you to her office and motioned for you to sit down.

“How was the drive?” Angelica asked, taking a swig of her coffee.

“Not bad,” you admitted, playing with your newly done nails, “I do have to say, though, I forgot how nasty Massachusetts drivers are.”

Angelica chuckled.

“Well, lucky for you, you won’t have to worry about Massachusetts drivers at all this summer. I’m assigning you to cover the Dallas Wings’ rookies, and then as the season goes on, probably one of the California teams. The Dallas Wings didn’t have the best season last year, so we’re not expecting too much from this year either.”

“Didn’t Paige get drafted there?”

“Yes, but one player cannot single-handedly save a whole team,” Angelica said, typing on her laptop, “We’ll have to see how the other rookies do too.”

“So I’m going to Dallas?” You asked, trying to formulate an image of your summer in your head.

“Not exactly. You’ll go to Vegas this week, since that’s the stadium they’re playing at. You’ll just be following them around and traveling to their respective stadiums.” She explained.

“Alright! I can definitely do that!” You said, and let out a sigh of relief.

“By the way, you need to be on the third floor in 3 minutes for your style workshop. You’ll be given your wardrobe, introduced to your hairstylist, and you’ll be getting your nails done.”

“I'd better go then. Thank you, Angelica!”

“Of course. See you on TV!”

The outfits they had picked for you were rather bland, as they were simpler, not to mention professional. However, with Anya’s help, you secured some cuter outfits for free nights. What’s more, your new hairstylist, Shay, was an amazing person to talk to. While experimenting with your hair, she was sure to make conversation.

“So, you excited to meet Paige?” She asked, running a straightener in your hair.

“Who said I was even going to meet her? I figured I’d be assigned with the other rookies,” you replied.

“Well, as the person who has YOUR schedule, you’re set to be interviewing Paige at the preseason game on Friday.”

“Are you serious?”

“What? Are you one of those girls who has an entire edit folder dedicated to her or something?” she asked, a knowing smirk beginning to make its mark on her face.

“No! I just… I know my parents are going to ask me to get an autograph from her or something.”

“Sure, sure. So you’ve NEVER seen an edit of her?” Shay asked, now trying to put your hair in some sort of half-up, half-down style.

“Not really. I don’t usually get edits on my TikTok.”

“Just look her up, alright?”

“Maybe,” you said halfheartedly, brushing off her request.

After about thirty hairstyles, an exchange of phone numbers, and a full set of nails, Shay then sent you to your media trainer, who taught you everything you would need to know for the summer. As boring as it was, you were somewhat ready for your first game, which would be against the Las Vegas Aces. The next day, you took a plane ride to Indiana, where you were met with your hotel for the next week.

The next night was a busy one. After another hair and makeup session with Shay, you were expected to arrive at the stadium at about three-thirty in the afternoon. Needless to say, you felt as if you were out of breath when you arrived at Notre Dame’s Purcell Pavilion. Throughout the night, as your professors had trained you, you kept your eyes on Paige the whole game. Every movement of hers was mesmerizing, to put it bluntly. Every bounce of the ball, every basket, god, even any time she ran made it impossible for you to keep your eyes off of her. You made a mental note to watch some highlights of her later. At halftime, you were instructed to interview her.

This is it.

“Hello!” You introduced yourself to Paige before the cameras began to record.

“Oh, okay, first interviewer! It’s nice to meet you! I’m Paige!” She said excitedly, holding out her hand for you to shake.

No fucking way she’s the number one draft pick and she thinks she has to introduce herself.

You found it endearing, though, the way she smiled and fidgeted with her hands.

Forget endearing. As the cameras were setting up and you got to know her, you were blown away by her. You were awestruck by her tall, slender figure, and her new slick back, which made it impossible not to look at her icy blue eyes that never broke eye contact with you. She was hot as fuck. To your dismay, you failed to notice before.  Although radiating confidence, she still was able to stay humble and grounded.

You had to admit, you both really just clicked. You had only been talking with her for about three minutes, and she was making you laugh in a way not even Anya could, not to mention how easy it was to talk with her. It felt like you had known her since you had been born. Although you knew things wouldn’t go any farther than whatever was happening on the court, you still enjoyed it—and had developed a FAT crush on her in the span of one game.

You really hoped you’d be able to interview her again.

“Go!” the cameraman called, clapping his hands, breaking up the colloquial conversation between you and her.

“So, Paige, how do you feel, now that you’re starting fresh with the Dallas Wings, only about three weeks after your NCAA championship win?”

“Pretty good. I’m excited for this season, forever thankful for this opportunity to be here, thankful to God, and just really soaking up everything around me.”

“And Paige, how are you feeling about the new hair? Although you wore this hairstyle a few months back, you did admit that you’d be debuting a new signature hairstyle in the W.”

“Uh, I like my hair. Giving my scalp a break and such. I think I’ll be experimenting with this and a bun in the next few games, we’ll see.”

“Alright, thank you! Good luck for the rest of this game!”

“Thanks! See you later?”

You nod as she high-fives you, giggling like a high school girl.

Although the Wings lost to the Aces, 78 to 112, to be exact, it was still a fun game to watch. You weren’t too sad, as you found in your research that there was a new coach in charge, and it was, in fact, a preseason game if anything. You quickly found Paige on the court again, whose face lit up when she saw you.

“Hey! Enjoy the game?” she asked, seemingly unbothered by the loss.

“Oh yeah. It was fun to watch! Congrats on your first game!”

“Thank you,” she answered, her eyes finally leaving yours for once, “so are you going to be coming to more games?”

“Apparently, I’ll be interviewing the Wings throughout their whole season, although I may have to leave near the end for college.”

“You’re still in college? Damn girl, I thought you were here with some experience with how professional you were.”

“Really? I think this is the least professional I’ve felt in a while!” you quipped, letting out a small laugh.

“Trust me, you’re better at this than you think. You know, I think you’ve asked the best questions since I’ve gotten here,” she admitted matter-of-factly.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

Once again, the cameraman asked the two of you to get into position, so you did.

This was going to be a good season.

taglist: @asapeveryday

[joaniscruzing]

Hii Elle! I just recentlycame across your page, and your dividers are really cool! I didn't see them in your masterlist so could you by any chance do some basketball themed dividers please? Preferably with the colors of UConn’s women's team. with like maybe a number 5 for Paige Bueckers. Or just the colors.. it's oki if you don't wanna do it

Hi! I went with just the colors to make them a little more usable widespread, hope that alright. Thanks for the request! 🩵🌸

Basketball

[joaniscruzing]

this was my absolute favorite fic ever. can't believe it's a YEAR old omg gotta reread

Happy one year anniversary to Forbidden Crown!!

The story I fell in love with so hard it’s currently being rewritten into my first novel. At this moment, it’s around 30k words, and just over halfway done!! 🤗

[joaniscruzing]

hey guys! so i'd like to get through a request i recieved, but also would like to get SOME of the fic out.

would y'all like it to be broken down into pieces (we have 7k words rn, and much more to be said,) or a full fic posted?

lmk!! (also comment for the taglist!)

currently working on my new fic, off the record!

the fic has an intern journalist!reader who keeps being paired with paige for interviews. but what happens when the amount of talking turns into something more?

comment to be added to the taglist!! send me any requests you have for the fic pretty please (this includes date ideas, scene ideas, etc)

[joaniscruzing]

y'all are in for a good one, just got to 4k words and we're not even CLOSE to done

[joaniscruzing]

currently working on my new fic, off the record!

the fic has an intern journalist!reader who keeps being paired with paige for interviews. but what happens when the amount of talking turns into something more?

comment to be added to the taglist!! send me any requests you have for the fic pretty please (this includes date ideas, scene ideas, etc)

[joaniscruzing]

yall gotta chill out over a PRESEASON game with essentially an entirely new team and a new head coach

growing pains are expected, paige and the wings will be fine 😴

[joaniscruzing]

for the ellie girls

[joaniscruzing]

Yall I need help 😭

Person with this pfp just viewed my profile. I have seen every single Ruby Cruz media (including the threesome) and I CANNOT place this?? What is this from?