ⓘ UNEXPECTED GAME 3
wnba! paige bueckers x model! azzi fudd — 5.7k wc
Paige Bueckers is the franchise star player of the Dallas Wings. She's known to be this generational talent both in basketball and in... women, apparently. Azzi Fudd, one of the most known names in the model industry. doesn't care about basketball nor this 'Paige Bueckers' that her best friend has been fawning over. So, when her best friend got her courtside season tickets to the game, she's forced to attend. From the moment she locks eyes with the star player, she knew Paige was nothing but trouble.
Girl code exists for a reason. Azzi knows better than to cross that line. Well, the only problem is... she wants to. and Paige seems more than willing to break them with her.
read chapter one & two here. thank you for all the love ❤️🔥unexpected game's playlist here!!
—。 Presented and written by, azzidefender. (unedited.)
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chapter three : move three
“your partner was paige?!” julia exclaimed a little too loudly, her voice carrying through the crowded café where they were having their usual brunch.
azzi immediately glanced around before leaning forward. “can you keep it down, jules? we’re literally in public. what if someone recognizes us?” she hushed.
the redhead had called her three times back-to-back the second the calvin klein pride campaign dropped. azzi hadn’t answered, she’d been in the middle of her workout. but judging by julia’s expression now, waiting had only made things worse.
“why didn’t you tell me?” julia demanded, throwing her hands in the air. “you know i literally have a crush on—ugh, why didn’t you tell me?”
azzi blinked at her, genuinely confused by the reaction. sure, julia had a thing for paige, but what exactly was she supposed to do about it? she hadn’t even known paige was going to be her partner until she walked onto set.
“i didn’t know i was shooting with her,” azzi replied, brows knitting together. “besides, what’s the big deal, jules? it was just a photoshoot.”
julia let out an irritated groan, tossing her napkin onto the table. “it is a big deal, az! at least to me. you know i like her.”
azzi stared at her for a second, almost in disbelief.“over a thirst trap edit?” she asked flatly.
“that doesn’t matter!” julia shot back. “i like her, and you went and did a whole campaign with her without even telling me.”
azzi sighed, setting her fork down with a soft clink against the plate before reaching for her wine. she took a small sip, hoping it’d somehow make this conversation make more sense.
“and if i had told you?” she asked calmly. “what would’ve changed? i still would’ve had to do the shoot. i wasn’t exactly gonna decline it because you have a stupid crush on her.”
she shook her head, “but that’s not even the point. i didn’t know it was paige until i got there. if i had known beforehand, i would’ve told you, obviously.”
julia scoffed. “stupid? so now you’re calling my interest in women stupid?” azzi’s brows immediately pinched together. “what? no—”
“must’ve been nice, huh?”
“jules…” azzi sighed. “you know that’s not what i meant.”
“no, seriously.” julia let out a humorless laugh, forcing a smile that never quite reached her eyes. “getting paired with your best friend’s celebrity crush? that’s actually insane.”
azzi parted her lips, but julia wasn’t finished. “and now everyone’s losing their minds over your chemistry online.”
“there is no chemistry, jules.”
lie.
“i literally can’t stand her.”
well, that was true.
julia studied her for a few seconds, her breath slowly steadied, she was still searching azzi’s face for any hint that she was lying. “…really?”
azzi nodded without hesitation. “really.” after a few minutes of silence, the tension sitting between them eased, only by a little. azzi let out a quiet breath before looking down at her plate. “..i’m sorry, jules. i really didn’t mean to.”
julia’s expression finally calmed. “i know you didn’t mean to,” she said, giving a small shrug. “just… tell me next time, okay? even if you find out last minute.”
“i will.”
“promise?”
“promise.”
julia finally smiled, faint but genuine. “okay,” she reached for her fork again. “apology accepted.” azzi smiled back, relieved the conversation had finally drifted away from the argument, which was about paige, a questionable argument to begin with.
for all of three seconds before julia started again. “…so.”
azzi narrowed her eyes, “what?”
julia rested her chin on her hand, trying—and failing to hide the grin creeping onto her face. “well… what was it like?”
azzi blinked, “what was what like?”
“azzi.” julia looked at her as though she’d just asked the dumbest question imaginable. “sitting on paige’s lap, obviously.” she groaned dramatically, dragging out the last word. “ugh, i wish i were you.”
azzi’s face scrunched up almost instantly.
“ew.”
julia laughed, “i’m serious!”
“well, it wasn’t all that, trust me.” azzi stabbed at a piece of avocado with unnecessary force. “she’s annoying, she’s irritating, and she made us retake, like— a million shots.”
“because she kept messing up?”
because she kept staring at my boobs.
“because she wouldn’t stop talking.” azzi instead, said.
“that sounds adorable.”
the younger raised her eyebrows, “it was exhausting.”
julia sighed dreamily, absentmindedly poking at the untouched chicken sitting on top of her salad. “i don’t know,” she murmured. “she looked really hot in that shoot.”
azzi stared at her best friend with genuine concern.“your taste in women genuinely worries me sometimes.”
“my taste is excellent.”
“your taste needs professional help.”
julia gasped, placing a hand over her chest. “that’s so rude.”
azzi only shook her head. sure… paige looked good. i mean, objectively speaking, she was well above average, there was no denying that. but looks could only carry someone so far. because the second she opened her mouth, azzi was reminded exactly why she couldn’t stand her.
cocky, irritating, and impossibly smug. it was like that insufferable smirk had been glued to her face. azzi thinks she might’ve been born with that. she was the kind of person who somehow managed to get under azzi’s skin within minutes of meeting her.
“anyways, i’m over that paige talk. wanna go to paris together tomorrow?” azzi asked, taking another bite of her poke bowl.
julia winced. it was brief and barely there, but azzi caught it. “oh right. sorry, az.” she rubbed the palm of her hand. “i completely forgot to tell you.”
azzi tilted her head, “tell me what?”
“i’m actually going to cabo tomorrow.”
azzi blinked, “wait… you’re not going to fashion week?” she asked, confusion lacing her voice. “i thought we were going together.”
they always went together.
julia gave an absent-minded shrug, pushing her salad around with her fork, taking another bite. “just like you said,” she replied. “we can’t expect to do everything together.”
azzi’s lips parted, though no words came out.
“i got booked for a frankies bikinis campaign,” julia continued, the excitement quickly returning to her face. “can you believe it? i’m finally gonna be the face of the new line, az!”
oh.
“that’s… amazing.”
and it really was. azzi smiled, this time without forcing it. “i’m really happy for you, jules.”
she meant every word. julia had been modeling for frankies for over a year now. azzi had worked with the brand once herself, so she knew exactly how much this meant. becoming the face of a collection wasn’t just another campaign, it was something julia had quietly hoped for ever since signing with them.
julia’s face softened. “thank you, az. i knew you’d understand, babe.” she reached over and squeezed azzi’s hand before pulling away.
“have fun in paris, though.” she chuckled. “i’m kinda over it, honestly. three years in a row? nothing ever happens.”
…
okay, ouch.
azzi’s smile faltered for the smallest fraction of a second. she quickly hid it behind another bite of food.
because, really?
she’d always thought fashion week was fun. not just because of the shows or the parties or getting dressed up. but because it had become their thing. every year, the two of them would fly out together, coordinate matching outfits for at least one event, spend way too much money at cafés between shows, and complain about sore feet by the end of the week.
azzi had always assumed julia loved the tradition just as much as she did.
i guess, the jokes on her.
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“you goin’ to paris, pb?”
zaza asked as she bent down to untie her game shoes. the game had just ended only a few minutes ago, and the locker room was beginning to empty, teammates filtering in and out with tired conversations echoing off the walls.
paige, meanwhile, had just rushed out of the facility showers. her blonde hair was still damp, droplets clinging to the ends as she quickly towel-dried it for what felt like the hundredth time. she still felt gross. the kind of gross that came from showering anywhere that wasn’t your own bathroom.
“yeah,” paige replied, shoving the last of her toiletries into her backpack. “gotta catch a flight.”
her suitcase had already been loaded into the car by her manager earlier that afternoon, leaving only her and her backpack.
zaza nodded knowingly.
“fashion week?”
“mhm.”
“for work or for fun?” arike teased, butting into the conversation.
“hopefully a lil’ bit of both.” paige smirked.
“she’s hoping she’ll run into…” jess chimed in from across the locker room, pausing dramatically before fake coughing into her fist. “ahem. you know who.”
paige looked up from stuffing the last t-shirt into her backpack, her brows knitting together despite the smile tugging at her lips.
“shut up, bro.” she laughed, “you’re making her sound like she’s voldemort.”
the locker room erupted into quiet chuckles. paige rolled her eyes before adding, “and no, i’m not expecting to see her there.” she zipped up her backpack.
“why would i, we hardly know each other...” the confidence in her voice faded just enough for the sentence to trail off.
jess’s grin widened and arike slowly turned to look at zaza, zaza looked right back at arike. then, almost in sync, both of them shifted their gaze to jess. the three exchanged the exact same knowing look.
“what?” paige asked suspiciously, looking between them.
zaza’s lips thinned into a straight line. “you don’t gotta know the person to fuck her, pb.”
the blonde raised her eyebrows at the sudden bluntness. “woaah, pause. who said anything about fuckin’?”
jess laughed. “you act like you don’t want to. it’s azzi fudd, bro. shit, i would too, if i could.”
paige halted for half a second. somehow, that comment made her skin crawl and not in a good way. her jaw tensed just slightly before she brushed it off with a forced chuckle. “man, it’s not like that. sure, she’s hot, but we’re basically coworkers. you know i don’t do that shit with people i work with.”
that got a full eyeroll from zaza. “you worked with her once— and what about lia?” paige’s brow furrowed. “who?” her mind was a total blank.
“one of your unrivaled staff, ring any bells?”
realization finally crossed the blonde’s face. “ooh, her.” light dawns, and paige clicked her tongue. “bro, that was a one-time thing and i was in miami.”
as if being in miami somehow justified sleeping with a staff member.
“okay,” arike cut in, “then what about claudia?” paige furrowed her brow again, prompting arike to facepalm.
“our wings cheerleader? the one who quit three months ago because you ghosted her?”
paige simply shrugged. “okay maybe two time-thing. plus, it wasn’t my fault she thought it was serious.”
“when are you ever serious?” jess questioned lightly, that earned a chorus of snickers around the room. “facts,” arike nodded. “the day paige bueckers settles down is the day the world ends.”
“nah,” zaza cut in, “hell would’ve frozen over before that happens, pb commits to one woman? yeah right.”
“y’all done?”
arike smirked, “we’re just waiting for the impossible.”
“keep waitin’.” paige slung the bag over her shoulder before turning towards the door.
“i’m out, later.”
“don’t fall in love!” zaza called after her.
without looking back, paige lifted her middle finger as a farewell.
another round of laughter followed as she disappeared down the hallway, the locker room door swinging shut behind her. despite the teasing fading into the background, one thought lingered longer than she’d care to admit.
azzi fudd.
she clicked her tongue to herself.
will she be there?
…not that she cares, obviously.
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the second the brunette stepped out of the car, she was met with the familiar chorus of camera shutters firing from every direction.
“azzi!”
“over here!”
“one more ms.fudd!”
“off the shoulder!”
flashes lit up the entrance in rapid succession as photographers called her name over one another, hoping to steal a glance or better yet, a smile.
azzi wasn’t new to any of this.
she’d attended paris fashion week for years now, but every season somehow managed to feel a little different. this time especially, since julia wasn’t here.
this wasn’t a single brand event where guests arrived exclusively for one designer’s show. paris fashion week was a whirlwind. brands, editors, athletes, actors, musicians, and models all moved through the same city, attending different shows while representing the fashion houses they were partnered with.
and this year, azzi was there as one of dolce & gabbana’s invited muses. the category : suited for you. the italian fashion house had sent over a custom look weeks in advance.
a tailored tan suit with matching dress pants that sat low enough to reveal the waistband of blue and white boxers peeking just above them. beneath the open blazer was nothing but a simple black bralette, striking the perfect balance between structured tailoring and effortless confidence. a tiny coffee brown shoulder bag completed the look, custom made to complement the suit down to the smallest detail.
her dark curls were left loose, cascading effortlessly past her shoulders in soft, glossy waves. it was a rare change from the curly up-do she often wore, and one that dolce & gabbana’s creative team had insisted on the moment they saw her.
she adjusted the cuff of her blazer before offering the cameras a small smile, turning just enough for them to capture every angle.
click. click. click.
she’d gotten used to it years ago, the lights no longer made her flinch and the shouting barely registered anymore. instead, she slipped effortlessly into the version of herself the public expected. poised, elegant, and quietly confident beneath the sea of flashing cameras. the princess, they would say.
after a few moments, azzi gave one final wave before following a staff member through the venue’s entrance, leaving the flashes behind as quickly as they’d found her.
“you did good, azzi. this look’s definitely gonna break the internet.”
“oh, i know.” azzi replied with a small, knowing smile. mackenzie, her manager, walked beside her while her security team guided them through the crowded venue.
the moment azzi stepped inside, she felt the switch. heads turned almost instantly. she could feel eyes following her every move, not just because of the custom look she was wearing, but because it was her. cameras subtly shifted in her direction, conversations quieted for a beat before picking back up, and flashes began chasing her path across the room.
it hadn’t always been easy.
when she first stepped into the modeling industry, she hated being the center of attention. every stare made her second-guess herself, every camera felt intrusive. she never craved the spotlight and she still didn’t.
but somewhere along the way, she learned how to wear confidence like a second skin. she stood taller, smiled easier, and carried herself with a quiet certainty that people mistook as effortless.
she knew she was beautiful. she knew she photographed well. she was proud of the body she’d worked tirelessly for and comfortable in the skin she lived in.
“right this way, ms. fudd.”
azzi followed the event coordinator through the venue, politely smiling at the occasional familiar face she passed and photographers lingered near the entrance, waiting for the next celebrity arrival.
she’d barely taken another step when—
thump.
“oh—i’m so sorry.” azzi apologized instinctively, taking a step back.
“careful, princess.”
azzi looked up, already knowing exactly who calls her that by a singular nickname and who she’d bumped into.
“you, again?”
the blonde’s lips curled into an annoyingly satisfied grin. “me, again?” she raised her brows, placing a hand against her chest. “’s that how you greet your friends, beautiful?”
azzi snorted, “us? friends?” she deadpanned. since when were they ever friends. “please. we’ve seen each other twice, bueckers.”
“twice is practically a lifelong friendship.”
“in what universe?”
“mine.”
“well, i can tell your universe is filled with fake friendships then.”
paige laughed, unbothered. while azzi just glared at the other, she decided to actually look at the other’s appearance, which turned out to be a terrible (hot) mistake.
the older was wearing a tailored deep burgundy suit that fit her frame almost unfairly well. saint laurent, azzi guesses. a crisp white striped button-up sat neatly beneath it, while a dark brown silk tie pulled the entire look together without trying too hard. her blonde hair was slicked back into a bun, every strand perfectly in place. she looked irritatingly attractive for her liking. and her jaw—
“done?”
azzi blinked, “huh?”
paige’s grin stretched even wider. “you finished checking me out?”
“get that stupid grin off your face.”
“i’ll take that as a yes.”
“whatever.”
paige chuckled as they continued walking. after a few steps, azzi noticed the blonde was still beside her. she frowned, “…can you stop following me?”
paige looked genuinely confused, “following you?” her hands shoved into the pocket of her tailored pants.
“yes. it’s getting weird.”
paige let out another laugh, “i know you’ve got a big head sweetheart,” she reached the front row before pointing at the seating cards resting atop two adjacent chairs.
“but my seat’s right here.”
azzi looked where she was pointing.
PAIGE BUECKERS.
directly beside,
AZZI FUDD.
of course. azzi stared at the name cards for a beat longer than necessary. surely, the universe had to be playing some kind of practical joke, was bumping into her the second time, not enough.
she cleared her throat awkwardly, without another word, she quietly took her seat. paige raised an amused eyebrow, clearly enjoying every second of azzi realizing she’d been completely wrong.
“nothing else to accuse me of?”
azzi refused to acknowledge the question. instead, she dramatically turned her entire upper body away from paige and toward the guest seated on her left side.
thankfully, someone she actually knew.
azzi greeted a little too enthusiastically for her usual demeanor, immediately striking up a conversation as though the blonde beside her had ceased to exist. the older watched the whole performance unfold before shaking her head with a quiet chuckle, taking a seat right besides her.
azzi didn’t seem to realize she was pouting.
nor did she seem to realize that somehow, against all reason, paige found the whole display ridiculously adorable.
“can you move your leg?” azzi whisper-shouted the moment the lights dimmed and the first model stepped onto the runway.
paige glanced down, then back at her. “what?”
“your leg.”
azzi subtly pointed toward the space between them. or rather… the lack of it. paige was sitting with her knees spread just enough that one of them had wandered far too close to azzi’s thigh.
what annoyed her even more was that her other leg had plenty of room on the opposite side. “you’re literally invading my space.”
paige looked down again, inspecting the situation with exaggerated seriousness. then she looked back at azzi, “there’s not exactly much room for me to move, princess.” she gestured toward the front-row seats as if the answer were painfully obvious.
azzi followed the gesture, then slowly turned her head toward paige’s other side. the blonde’s right leg had an unreasonable amount of space.
“seriously?”
paige blinked innocently while azzi pointed towards the empty space beside paige’s right leg. paige glanced over to direction the other was pointing to. with a sigh, she slid her leg back into her own space.
“happy?”
“very.” azzi replied flatly, finally settling back into her seat. for a blissful few seconds, neither of them spoke.
then… azzi felt it.
a knee brushing against hers. she slowly turned her head, the player was staring straight ahead at the runway as though she hadn’t moved an inch.
“really?” azzi whispered.
“hm?”
“your leg, bueckers.”
paige looked down with an innocent frown.
“oh.” she shifted it away again.
azzi narrowed her eyes and directed her focus back on the show. another few seconds passed, the runway lights danced across the room as another model stepped out, azzi was beginning to be drawn in by the pieces.
then, ever so slowly, paige’s knee began drifting back. one inch, and another. until it was once again pressed just inside azzi’s again. this time, the younger didn’t even look. she could practically feel the smug smile growing beside her.
paige stole a glance and the brunette was still focusing on the runway, pretending the blonde didn’t exist.
well, that’s no fun.
paige nudged her knee a tiniest bit closer until a deep sigh escaped azzi’s nose. still, she wasn’t willing to give the blonde the attention. paige’s grin only widened when the younger closed her eyes, determined to keep her peace intact.
she acts like a fucking eleven year old boy, azzi thought.
“paige.” she finally said, in a dangerously yet calming tone.
a warning.
paige bit the inside of her cheek, already fighting a laugh. “okay, okay.” she finally pulled her leg back for good, lifting both hands slightly in surrender.
“i’m done, f’real.”
azzi gave a single nod, eyes never leaving the runway “good girl.”
the blonde smiled to herself, seemingly pleased by the comment.
the bass was thumping through the floorboards, but paige had made it her personal mission to provide a full-length runway commentary rather than actually watching the show silently.
“shit, that must be heavy.” she leaned over and muttered directly into azzi’s ear as a model treading down the runway wore a structured, sculpted armor piece.
azzi didn’t even blink, target-locked on the fashion ahead. “and that...” paige whispered a note louder, index finger jabbing against her own knee as the next look came by. a sheer, draped gown topped off with lethal stilettos. “i’d trip wearin’ that within like— three seconds.”
azzi’s lips stiffened, she stared straight ahead for three full seconds. “oh, you for sure would trip.” she highlighted the word for sure, imagining the blonde in those heals.
paige’s head snapped towards her, “excuse me?”
azzi kept her eyes on the runway, the smallest hint of satisfaction tugging at her lips. “you heard me.”
paige looked thoroughly unimpressed. “you act like you could do it.” that finally made azzi turn, “did you forget i’m a model?”
“you’re a print model, there’s a difference.”
okay now that, offended her. azzi gasped softly,“excuse you.”
“have you ever walked a runway in heels that tall?”
“yes.”
“without tripping?”
“yes.”
paige squinted, unbelieving. “…prove it.”
azzi let out a bewildered laugh. “you want me to hijack the show?”
“just sayin’. wouldn’t believe it ‘till i see it.”
“you’re impossible.”
“shhhh!”
a loud, sharp, and extremely audible sound came straight from the attendee sitting directly to paige’s right. both of them absolutely winced, their shoulders shrugging up in the same split second.
“see what you did?” paige said, silently moving her lips.
“what i did?” azzi hissed back. “you started it.”
“did not.”
“did too.”
“did not.”
“did too—”
“shhhh!”
the second one was much louder and more direct. paige actually shrunked back to her seat this time, leaning slightly away from the brunette and muttering a quick, “…sorry, my bad.” to the person next to her.
a few seconds of uneasy silence passed. then, out of a sudden— azzi let out a short snort, she absolutely could not hold it in.
paige turned her head slowly to catch her chuckling. “bro. not funny.” she muttered, though the corners of her own mouth twitched and broke into a grin.
azzi was still biting her lip, her grin spreading wide as she shoved her arm against paige’s, nudging her lightly. “shut up, and pay attention bueckers.”
paige lingered on her dimples for a couple of seconds, a soft, mischievous smirk anchoring on her face.
“alright, princess.”
and for the rest of the show, the blonde really stayed put and focused.
for the most part.
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the after party was held in a dimly lit, high-end lounge downtown, the heavy bass from the runway show replaced by a smooth, low tempo beat.
azzi was sitting alone at the marble bar, taking a quiet breather from the group of friends she’d been hanging out with earlier. she’d swapped her runway front look for a mini skirt and an off the shoulder black top, her hair pinned up in a loose, effortless updo with a few soft curls framing her face. she was slightly tipsy, the subtle hum of the alcohol making the ambient lights bleed together in a warm haze.
she was minding her own business, idly spinning the straw in her glass, when some guy slid into the stool next to her. he immediately launched into a pitch about who he was some self-proclaimed influencer and despite azzi giving the bare minimum one-word replies, he just kept pushing, leaning a little too close into her personal space.
“hey sexy—”
“sorry,” azzi smiled politely. “i don’t think we’ve met.”
“i’m an influencer.”
“…okay?”
“you’ve probably seen me.”
“can’t say i have.” he laughed as if she’d told a joke.
she hadn’t.
“let me buy you a drink.”
“i’m good.” azzi declined politely.
“come on.”
“really, i’m okay.”
“just one.”
azzi forced another smile, “i said i’m—”
“she said she’s good.”
the voice came from beside them, they both turned. the guy blinked, looking up at paige, who was standing there with her hands resting casually in her pockets, giving him a flat, unbothered look that made it very clear he should move along. after a brief beat, he got the message, muttered something under his breath, and backed off into the crowd.
“thanks.” azzi said, feeling a wave of relief wash over her.
the older shrugged, “‘course.”
she nodded toward the empty stool beside azzi. “this seat taken?”
it must’ve been the alcohol, azzi thought, because instead of giving her a hard time like she usually would, she just shook her head. “no.” paige smiled before sliding onto the stool beside her.
azzi took a quick second to look her over. paige had changed into something way more casual than her earlier front row fit. just a black long-sleeve sweatshirt and relaxed pants. she looked…comfy.
“what?” paige caught her.
“nothing.” she quickly, replied.
“you survived the rest of the show without getting us kicked out, i see.” azzi said, her voice softer now, a fond edge replacing her usual sharpness.
paige let out a quiet laugh, turning on her stool to face her. “hey, once i was silenced by row one authority, i was on my absolute best behavior. you were the one who broke first, by the way. that sudden laugh almost got us exiled princess.”
“i couldn't help it, the way you flinched and immediately went 'sorry, my bad' was ridiculous.” azzi admitted, a real, bright laugh escaping her lips this time.
“i had to save us bro!” paige argued, grinning as she leaned her elbow on the bar, resting her chin in her hand.
“so, can i buy you a drink princess?”
azzi lifted the nearly full glass in her hand. “already have one.”
paige looked at it, “that’s almost empty.”
azzi frowned, sadly. “…is it?”
paige laughed, “how many have you had, pretty?”
the younger glared playfully, “that’s between me and the bartender.”
“so, more than two?”
“nu-uh.”
“okay, more than three.”
azzi pouted, “you’re acting like my dad.”
which only earned paige a playful smirk. “i could be somethin’ close to that… if you wanted.” azzi stared at her for a beat before letting out an incredulous laugh.
“you’re actually disgusting.”
“that’s not a no.”
“that’s absolutely a no.”
paige chuckled, “worth a shot.”
azzi shook her head, unable to stop the giggle that escaped anyway. okay, she was definitely tipsy.
“there it is.”
“what?”
“your real laugh.”
“i laugh.”
“not around me.”
“maybe you’re just not funny.”
“ouch, princess.”
“truth hurts, bueckers.” azzi grinned into something softer.
as the night went on, the usual back and forth competitive banter melted away into something surprisingly easy. they lost track of time just cracking jokes, leaning into each other’s shoulders when something was too funny, and sharing quiet stories away from the noise of the main room.
the alcohol, the warmth of the lounge, and the sheer comfort between them slowly dissolved the space between their stools. neither of them really noticed the exact moment it happened, but by the time the lounge was starting to empty out, they were turned completely toward each other.
azzi’s knee was resting right against paige’s leg, their clothes practically brushed together, and their faces were settled just inches apart. paige had one arm resting on the back of azzi’s stool, her fingers casually playing with a stray curl that had fallen from azzi’s updo, while azzi’s head was tilted in, resting slightly too close to the older’s shoulder for it to be considered just casual.
“you know,” paige whispered, her voice dropping into a low, warm register as she looked down at her, “you're a lot less trouble when you're not trying to argue with me.”
“don’t get used to it,” azzi murmured, a small, sleepy smile tugging at the corners of her lips.
she made no effort to pull away. if anything, she drifted the slightest bit closer without even realizing it.
paige noticed. the blonde’s gaze flickered down for the briefest moment, lingering on azzi’s lips before catching herself.
when her eyes met azzi’s again, there was a flicker of something unreadable behind the teasing grin she’d been wearing all night.
“azzi—
“azzi!”
the voice snapped both of them out of whatever had settled between them. azzi blinked, turning her head toward the familiar voice.
“…kenz?”
mackenzie stood a few feet away, one hand on her hip, the other clutching her phone. she let out the deepest sigh of relief she’d had all night.
“oh, thank god.”
azzi frowned, “what?”
“what?” mackenzie repeated incredulously. “i’ve been looking everywhere for you.”
azzi looked genuinely confused, pouting. “you have?”
“yes, you menace.” mackenzie walked over, gently grabbing azzi by the wrist. “i turned around for five minutes and you disappeared.”
azzi frowned thoughtfully.
“…i did?”
paige couldn’t help to let out a chuckle that escaped her. mackenzie finally looked over at the blonde.
“oh,” she smiled apologetically. “you must be paige. the basketball player, right?”
paige nodded, “that’s me.”
“mackenzie, azzi’s manager.” the shorter woman offered her free hand as to shake it, which the blonde quickly complied to. “seriously, thank you for looking after her.”
“i was fine…” azzi mumbled drowsyly.
“you’re literally a baby when you're drunk azzi, sit up.” mackenzie gently scolded, grabbing azzi's clutch off the bar counter and slipping her hand under azzi's arm to help her off the stool. “i am so sorry about her, paige. she gets so clingy when she's had a couple drinks.”
“i do not.” azzi again, grumbled.
“you let a stranger sit next to you.”
azzi pointed at paige, “she’s not a stranger.”
the blonde paused. “…that’s actually progress.” paige chuckled, “i’ll take it.”
paige just grinned softly, stepping back slightly to let mackenzie pull azzi upright, though her hand lingered near azzi's waist for a second just to make sure she was steady on her feet. “don’t worry ‘bout it, mackenzie. she was good company.”
“right… well, bedtime for the model.” mackenzie said firmly, wrapping an arm around azzi to drag her towards the elevator.
“come on. hotel.”
“already?”
“yes, already.”
“but i’m talking.”
“you can talk tomorrow.”
“that’s kinda controlling.”
“and you’re kinda drunk.”
azzi lets out a buff and lets herself be pulled to her feet before looking back at paige. “bye, bueckers.”
paige smiled, “night, princess.”
azzi rolled her eyes, though there wasn’t much conviction behind it anymore. “don’t call me that.”
“see you around.”
“hopefully not.”
paige laughed, “you don’t mean that.”
the drunken brunette opened her mouth to argue, but somehow the only thing that slipped out was “…goodnight.”
the older smiled, softer this time. “goodnight, az.”
mackenzie didn’t miss the way azzi failed to protest the nickname. she simply shook her head to herself as she led the younger woman toward the elevators, heading down to the lobby.
“you’re smiling,” mackenzie pointed out.
“am not.”
“you literally are.”
“it’s the alcohol.”
“sure.”
“it is.”
“whatever you say girl.”
their voices gradually disappeared into the tiny leftover crowd. paige remained seated at the bar, her drink untouched.
the player looked towards the elevators just in time to catch azzi glancing back over her shoulder for the briefest second before the doors closed.
well, this took an unexpected turn.
═════════════════════
the next morning, azzi woke up to her pulse ringing in her head as a brutal hangover kicked in, her memories of the night before nothing more than a blurry haze. groaning against the sunlight, she blindly reached for her phone on the nightstand, only to freeze when a single notification lit up her screen from the last person she ever expected.
@ paigebueckers started following you!
oh, fuck. what did she do.
═════════════════════
for p & a’s visualizer and looks this chapter : click here.
