'can i have this dance?' - 7/?
Summary: Azzi loved weddings, had loved them since she was a kid and religiously watched ‘say yes to the dress’ with her sister Olivia.
And now this time next year, Olivia would be getting married. Azzi should be thrilled, should be over the moon really. She loved her sister, and she loved her soon to be brother-in-law, Jared, almost as much. So why wasn’t she excited?
The answer was three words. Paige fucking Bueckers.
Paige - - Azzi’s infuriating, arrogant, utter arch nemesis that she couldn’t even stand to be in the same room with. Also known as Jared’s sister/best woman.
So, also known as the best woman opposite her maid of honor, meaning she would be impossible to ignore in the entire team leading up to the wedding.
Forced to co-host events, an unresolved past history, their families about to become one and confusing feelings that arise only when the two girls are around one another. What could possibly go wrong?
… or, the enemies to lovers fic that i randomly got inspo for :)
a/n: so this is part one of the september visit! and as a PSA - all-star was in early august in the 'cihtd' universe!
thank u all SO much for the love on chapter six!! it srsly means more than u know, and im super grateful :)
im ngl this is not well edited AT ALL, so pls send me any errors and I will fix them (and ill come back to fix anything that needs assistance LOL)
here's a link for reference of the 'lyss moment' for anyone that wants a visual: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31QihKxjzts 🤗
'cinderella' - mac miller ft. ty dolla $ign
"i been waitin' all year for this moment, I been picturin' you takin' off your clothes for me...
Azzi stepped off the train, her small purse slung over one shoulder and her phone held in front of her, the walking directions to the bar still pulled up despite the fact that she was already ten minutes later than she was supposed to be.
Fashionably late, as her grandmother would say. She had no one to blame but herself though, because she missed the train she should have been on, the one Olivia did make, because she napped for too long and didn’t get ready early enough.
Her kitten heels echoed up the stairs as she weaved her way past the crowds of people heading in the opposite direction. It took some speed walking and only one wrong turn before she finally found the correct bar. It was the rooftop of a hotel in Manhattan, and according to a TikTok Olivia had sent in the group chat three weeks ago, it supposedly had the best espresso martinis in all of New York. Judging by the crowd waiting near the elevator, plenty of people seemed to agree.
Janelle gave her a bear hug as soon as she saw her, “Girl it’s been too long!”
“I know.” Azzi laughed into the embrace before squeezing her back. “I've just been so busy.”
“Here, sit down.” Janelle motioned toward the empty chair beside Olivia.
Azzi slid into the seat, setting her purse on the back of the chair before leaning over to steal a quick side hug from her sister. “We all have so much to catch up on.”
“Oh, I know,” Janelle continued, pointing dramatically between the two sisters. “We'll get to your life in a second. Liv was just filling me in on wedding stuff.”
“Oh gosh.” Azzi leaned back with an exaggerated sigh. “What now?” She teased, though to her sister’s credit, she hadn’t been too wedding obsessed the last few times they had seen one another.
Olivia smiled as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, the engagement ring Jared had given her catching the warm string lights hanging overhead. “I need people to start RSVPing, like, yesterday,” She said, reaching for her espresso martini. “I have to send everyone that's coming all the hotel information for Maui, and I can't really do that until I know who's actually going.”
“Yeah, so how does that work?” Azzi asked, resting her elbow on the table. “Do you just... rent the whole place out?”
Olivia nodded, “It's a buyout, and because we're not booking it years in advance like most destination weddings, they need a pretty accurate head count sooner rather than later.”
“Speaking of,” Janelle said, taking a sip of her espresso martini. “Why is it so soon? You’re not knocked up, are you?”
Azzi tensed, and she could see Olivia’s expression shift too, so she naturally did whatever she could to take away any of her sister’s discomfort. “You can see that she’s actively drinking right now, right?” She deadpanned, motioning to the martini Olivia had already made a noticeable dent in before she'd even gotten there.
Janelle rolled her eyes, “I’m obviously kidding, my gosh. Tough crowd.”
Olivia cleared her throat, probably to stifle any rising emotion. “My dad’s trial isn’t going well. So we decided to schedule it as soon as we could, so y’know…”
“Got it.” Janelle's expression softened immediately, all traces of her teasing disappearing. “Sorry. I honestly didn't put two and two together. Didn't mean to bring down the mood or anything.”
“No, you're good.” Olivia offered her a reassuring smile, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. She wrapped both hands around her martini glass, absentmindedly tracing the rim with her thumb. “It's just still hard to talk about.”
“Well,” Janelle reached across the table, giving each of the sisters' hands a quick squeeze, “I'm always here if you guys need anything.”
They caught up for a little after that, mostly about wedding planning and the promotion Janelle got at work - - which was part of the reasons for them getting together this evening.
It didn’t take long for the topic Azzi had been dreading to be brought up. “Now I wanna hear all about all-star weekend.”
“Oh God.” Olivia groaned, dropping her forehead to the table. “I can’t do this right now.”
Azzi couldn't help but laugh at her sister's embarrassment. “Yeah, Liv had herself a time.”
Olivia groaned louder, her voice muffled against the tabletop. “Stoppppp.”
“A time?” Janelle raised an eyebrow. “What does that mean?”
“It means I got hammered, was kicked out of the club, and was acting a mess in front of a ton of professional athletes.” Olivia said.
“Bro, literally no one knows about that. You're fine.” Azzi rolled her eyes, reaching over to nudge Olivia's shoulder. Then she looked back at Janelle. “I keep trying to tell her it's not that big a deal, but she's too embarrassed to believe me.”
Janelle laughed, nearly sloshing her drink as she set the glass back down. “Oh my God. What the fuck happened?”
“Well...” Olivia sat up, apparently gaining her usual confidence back, smoothing a hand over her hair. “Azzi wouldn't know.”
Azzi's eyebrows shot up. “What? I took care of your ass all night. What're you talking about?”
“Yeah,” Olivia said, unable to fight the smug smile spreading across her face, “but before that...” She drew the moment out just enough to make Azzi suspicious. “...you were all over Paaaigeee.”
“What?!” Janelle's head whipped toward Azzi so fast it was almost comical. “Since when do you two get along?”
“We don't,” Azzi lied a little too quickly, her eyes dropping to her lap as she reached for her drink. “She's being dramatic. Paige offered to help me take care o' Liv. That was all.”
Olivia gawked at her, “Sabrina said you guys were already together!”
Azzi kept her gaze locked on her espresso martini, trying to figure out the best way to navigate a topic she had successfully been avoiding, given that she had hardly seen her sister since they got back from Houston. She chose the route of feigning indifference, shrugging and twirling a curl around her finger. “I dunno, sometimes we like to fight. It was prolly ‘cause of that.”
“Were you hammered too?” Janelle asked.
“Not as bad as this one,” She cocked her head toward Olivia, “But I was definitely drunk. And prolly being all attention seeking.”
She decided not to express how she really only had a couple of drinks, and the only thing she had been feeling was an all-consuming arousal for Paige. Because, for obvious reasons, she had no intention of telling anyone about this newfound development in her life. She would uphold the facade that she hated Paige, that everything about her irked her.
Granted, a lot of things about Paige still irked her anyway. “Alright, subject change. Who’s ready to order an app? I’m starved.”
Despite having a strong start to the season, the Liberty were now in a three game losing streak. It was taking its toll on the team, who all had more than enough of losing to teams they shouldn’t be losing to.
Azzi threw herself back into her training. Which meant that on the one off day she had in God knows how long, she spent the entire afternoon with her trainer Jalen at the practice facility.
Tash came for about an hour or so, the two women mostly working on shooting drills together. And by the time the pair finished with their session, Azzi was exhausted. She barely had the energy to listen to the latest of Tash and Izzy (Izzy took too long to answer Tash’s text yesterday and you would think the woman cheated based on the vet’s reaction).
“I’m just like, I know you had a chance to answer me before you go on that plane! So why didn’t you?” Tash spoke animatedly across from Azzi in the locker room.
Azzi stopped listening shortly after, instead she unlocked her phone while she waited for Tash to finish either ranting or packing up her things, whatever came first.
She had a missed call from Olivia, a few texts from her publicist, some from her team group chat, and one from Paige.
Now, Azzi was bothered by this text. Okay, not actually bothered, but it was still annoying that Paige had become this familiar with Azzi’s schedule. And learning to not loathe the idea of having a mid-day call with Paige, learning that she was actually fine with the idea, was extremely confusing.
“Uh. Azzi?” Natasha's voice pulled her out of her thoughts. “Are you listening?”
“Hm?” Azzi blinked a few times before looking over. “Sorry, zoned out.” She grabbed her gym bag with one hand and her now-locked phone with the other. “You ready?”
Natasha laughed, shaking her head as the two of them headed toward the parking lot together. They talked about practice for another minute or two before splitting off toward their respective cars, exchanging quick goodbyes before climbing inside. Only when Azzi successfully made her way onto the traffic-filled streets of Brooklyn, did she call Paige.
“So I have a proposition.” Paige said as soon as she accepted the call.
Despite not being able to see her face, Azzi could hear a tinge of nervousness in her voice. “Proposition? That’s a big word.”
“Hey, I’ve been reading, remember?”
“Have you? ‘Cause you told me you were gonna update me when you kept reading, and last I heard you were on chapter two.”
“Oh, sorry. Three.” Azzi shook her head and bit back a smile, grateful that the blonde couldn’t see her amused expression. “What was the proposition then?” A long exhale could be heard on the other end of the call, and Azzi immediately took back being grateful for not being able to see one another. She had found that Paige was rather easy to read, or Azzi had a knack for knowing what she was feeling based on her face, and not being able to see those expressive blue eyes was making this more difficult. “Paige? You still there?”
“Yeah, sorry.” Paige’s voice crackled slightly through the speaker, followed by the sharp sound of her clearing her throat. She sounded smaller than usual, a far cry from her typical swagger. “‘m actually coming in the night before the fifth. For a dinner I have with Unrivaled people.”
“Oh?” Azzi said, her brows knitting together in confusion.
“Yeah, well, anyway.” Paige trailed off, the sound of rhythmic tapping, almost like a nervous habit, audible in the background. “My assistant is tryna book me a hotel room, but I wasn’t sure…”
“Sure about what, Paige?” Azzi pressed, not wanting to fill in that blank on the off chance she was misreading this entire exchange.
“If I should stay in a hotel or not.” The words were rushed, almost tripping over each other as Paige finally spit them out.
“Oh. Oh.” Azzi’s eyes widened, her heart practically skipping a beat. A flush crept up her neck, warming her cheeks despite the car's air conditioning. “You wanna stay with me or something?”
“I mean, yeah. If that’s cool.” There was a softer level to Paige’s tone that caught Azzi off guard, a glimpse of the less-confident Paige she wasn’t used to seeing. “But I don’t have to, obviously. Don't make it weird.”
Azzi thought it over as she pulled to a stop at a red light. Even though she was more than preparing herself to see Paige again, she hadn’t thought about the older woman staying the night. And despite normally hating when her plans were altered, she didn’t actually hate the idea. Azzi was working on taking risks, and even if this whole thing turned out to be a disaster, at least she tried.
Figuring she’d put Paige out of her misery, Azzi finally answered her a moment later. “Yeah, that’s fine. You can stay.”
“Oh my God, why are you like this?”
Azzi spent the entire morning of the day Paige would be arriving trying to pretend it was just any other Thursday. She threw herself into lift, trying to occupy her mind by reaching a new pr and talking with her teammates.
She had a physical that afternoon, where she kept her focus on her health - - something she did often, anyway. Between the routine tests, answering the same questions she answered every season, and talking with the medical staff about how her body had been feeling lately, it was easy enough to keep her mind elsewhere.
The only part of the day she had nothing to do but think about Paige’s arrival had been while Paige was at her dinner. She didn’t realize the extent of the Unrivaled dinner until Natasha told her about the details, since she would be in attendance too. It was a bunch of investors and players that had equity in the company, all at some high-end restaurant in Manhattan. Paige hadn’t answered her much throughout the day, but Azzi chalked it up to her flying in and then having to quickly get ready for the event.
Of course everyone she knew was busy that evening too, so she quite literally was left sitting in her living room with her thoughts. Her book wasn’t holding her attention, she didn’t have much of an appetite, and she felt like she reached the end of instagram with how long she had been on the app.
She was mindlessly scrolling through the Instagram stories of the people she followed when it happened; a story, posted by Arike, of everyone at that damn Unrivaled dinner with their drinks raised toward the center of the table, glasses clinking together while someone behind the camera cheered. It took Azzi less than a second to find Paige among the crowd, drink in hand and smiling for the camera.
She clicked on the next one, which was posted on Arike’s close friends instead. It was a video of Paige and Phee, each with a tray of shots in one hand, and an individual glass raised in the other.
Oh so it was that kind of dinner. Azzi was fucking livid. How dare Paige invite herself to stay at Azzi’s place, where they would presumably be doing something physical, and show up drunk? Especially while Azzi was at home sober?
Impulsively, Azzi took a screenshot of Arike’s story, then opened her texts with Paige.
r u fucking kidding me with this?
ur just gna show up at my house fucked up?
ur weird for this dont bother coming
She slammed her phone down on the nightstand as soon as she sent those series of texts. Anger was simmering in her chest, threatening to pour over any second. She felt like an idiot for feeling so strongly about this, for allowing Paige of all people to bring her to this point of frustration.
She stormed into the bathroom that connected to her bedroom, aggressively beginning her skincare routine. It wasn’t that she had gotten ready for Paige to come over, she hadn’t even chosen an outfit yet, but she purposefully kept on her makeup from the day to look decent enough for when Paige arrived.
The micellar water she was using to take off her mascara made her eyes burn, and she was grateful for a distraction, despite how painful it was. But her thoughts kept trickling back to Paige, out and about, drinking, doing whatever she wanted while Azzi was the idiot who waited up for her.
Maybe Paige didn’t think anything, well, physical, was going to happen. Maybe she thought their newly formed friendship meant she really was just going to spend the night. Maybe Azzi was just an inexperienced girl jumping at the chance to sleep with someone who seemed at least semi-interested in her too.
Somewhere in her subconscious, she assumed that Paige would have responded by the time she finished getting ready for bed. However, when she returned to the charger, not one notification was waiting for her. Huffing as she crawled beneath the covers, Azzi accepted defeat. She flicked off her light switch, shut her eyes, and prayed sleep would come quickly so she could do her best to forget.
A loud buzzing from her bedside table jolted her awake, causing her to gasp obnoxiously the way her mother used to when she would wake her up in the middle of the night. Eyes squinted, she blindly reached for the light switch beside her bed, wincing when both bedside lamps turned on. Then, she found her phone, using too much force to unplug the charger, and subsequently ripping the plug out of the wall too. “Fuck my life.” She grumbled to herself.
paige bueckers 😾🤮💩 was the contact that was currently disturbing her beauty sleep, and Azzi had half a mind to flat out decline right then and there. But when the call was about to go to voicemail, she impulsively answered, curiosity outwinning her stubbornness. “What?!” She barked, negating a greeting.
“What does that mean?” Azzi rubbed her eyes, still processing the fact that she was even awake right now. “Plus ‘m already mad at you.”
“I know, that’s why I figured it couldn’t get much worse than this.” Paige laughed, mainly to herself because Azzi was not finding her amusing. When Azzi remained wordless, Paige let out a long sigh, “I’m outside.”
Azzi’s head snapped up even though Paige couldn’t see her. “Outside o’ my apartment?”
Azzi huffed, her tone sounding bratty even to her own ears. “No.”
“Azzi I swear I didn’t drink. I put that shot down after, Arike was just adamant about taking that stupid boomerang.” Paige rushed out, and even though her anguish was almost palpable, she didn’t sound intoxicated.
Briefly, Azzi hates herself a little for knowing the difference in Paige’s voice from when she was drinking compared to when she wasn’t. “How do I know you’re being truthful?”
“I wouldn’t lie to you.” Her voice was pleading, desperate almost, and Azzi secretly felt powerful at the thought. The thought that Paige was equally as desperate to see her again. “Please let me up.”
Truth be told, Azzi was already opening her building’s app to let Paige inside. Even though she was mad at the girl, she wasn’t a monster that would leave Paige out on the street - - especially after purposefully not booking a hotel room to stay with her in the first place. (This was what she was telling herself, at least). “Fine. It should be open.”
“Fuck, thank you. I’ll be right up.” She hung up before Azzi could say anything else.
And then the panic set in. For starters, Azzi’s room was a mess. She stood quickly, taking the giant pile of clean clothes that were resting on the foot of her bed and shoving them in the closet. She barely got the door closed, but at least the mess was out of sight. Then she made her bed, put away the piles of books on her nightstand, and tossed the empty coffee cups there into the trash of her bathroom.
Then she made the mistake of looking at herself in the bathroom mirror, and a new wave of anxiety hit. Since she humbly assumed she wasn’t getting laid tonight, Azzi went to bed looking far differently than she would have preferred. She first grabbed her eyelash curler from the makeup stand on the counter, curling her lashes and throwing on a light coat of mascara. The only lip product she had readily available was a tube of aquaphor, so she squeezed some out to put a coat on plump lips.
Satisfied with the way her face looked, she frantically took off her bonnet, then her tshirt and literal granny panties, while simultaneously re-opening her closest doors. By some grace of God, the pile of clean clothes didn’t come tumbling out, though one wrong move and they would end up everywhere. She opened the drawer inside where she kept her (few) matching pajama sets, and chose a matching black silk one from target. She closed the closet doors again, then moved to her dresser. Her underwear drawer was a disaster, but she found a silk thong that was also black, one that she could easily pretend she just happened to be sleeping in.
She put the thong and silk shorts on first, but stilled when she went to throw the button-down short sleeve pajama top over her head. She couldn’t just not have a bra on, right? She didn’t want her nipples to be shown through her top, regardless of whether or not anything sexual was about to happen. In a rash decision, she opened the drawer filled with her bras, choosing the one her hand found first.
It was white and lacy, but it was semi-comfortable and she didn’t really have time to think it over anyway. Just as she got the clasp done, a knock sounded on her front door. “One second!” She shouted from her bedroom. She walked toward the kitchen and put the pajama top on at the same time, trying to catch her breath after the tizzy she had just put herself in.
She took one final deep breath before opening her front door. The first thing she processed was the duffle bag across Paige’s shoulder. The next was Paige’s outfit; a grey suit, one that exposed the valley of her chest and contrasted nicely against pale skin. She looked good, with her hair in an up do that appeared to be held together by a large claw clip.
Paige spoke first, a little exasperated, “Can I come in?”
Realizing she had been staring, Azzi turned quickly to hide her brush, leaving Paige to her own devices to follow her inside the apartment. “Yeah, sorry.” She heard the door close behind her, but she didn’t turn around until she reached the counter of her kitchen. “D’you want water or something?”
When she allowed herself to look over, Paige was putting her bag down next to the shoe rack Azzi kept by the door. “‘m fine.” Paige bent down to untie her sneakers, and Azzi looked away quickly when she realized the action exposed even more of Paige’s chest.
She made herself busy by pouring herself a glass of water. The brita was almost empty, so she went to the sink to refill it. She was mid-turning off the faucet when she felt a weight behind her, the scent of Paige’s cologne filling her nostrils. Azzi closed the lid to the brita, but didn’t turn, afraid that Paige would somehow be able to sense how nervous she was.
“Hey.” Paige tapped on her shoulder, “Turn around f’me?” Azzi listened, the brita now abandoned inside her kitchen sink. Paige looked her up and down at least twice, a small smile appearing on thin lips. “You woke up looking like this?”
“Yup.” Azzi said, popping the ‘p’. “That surprises you?”
“Please, you know nothing about me.” It’s a lie, and they both know it. Besides their pasts being long intertwined, Azzi had been opening up to Paige more than she had with anyone else in a really long time.
“Really?” Annoyingly, Paige didn’t fall for Azzi’s gimmick. Instead, she leaned forward so her hands met the kitchen counter, her arms caging Azzi in. The action was audible due to Paige’s suit jacket bunching at her shoulders, and Azzi resisted the urge to flatten the wrinkles there. “Maybe I should get to know you more, then.”
Azzi huffed, but her body remained perfectly still. She could feel her heart racing in her chest, still so damn nervous for what was, hopefully, about to happen. Although she was still putting on an appearance of indifference, any frustration she had felt earlier was long gone, instead replaced by all consuming anticipation. “I’d be okay with that.”, is what she settled on.
Paige smiled, dropping her arms from the counter, and holding a hand out. “Then let’s go to your room, yeah?”
Once again letting out an annoyed huff, Azzi stayed in place. “I wish I had a breathalyzer or something.”
The amused smirk on Paige’s face fell, with blue eyes widening so that her pupils were blown. “Fudd, ‘m bein’ serious. I wouldn’t, y’know, take advantage o’ you like that. I swear.”
Azzi felt her foe-pissed off expression dissipate. She hadn’t meant to insinuate any of that. Paige might have been a lot of things, and might make Azzi nervous for a lot of reasons, but she knew she would never use her for something as intimate as sex. Or, she at least trusted Paige not to do that. And in Azzi’s book, trust was not given out lightly. “Okay, yeah. I believe you.”
Paige visibly relaxed, “Good. Now lead the way, princess.”
Azzi rolled her eyes, brushing past the blonde. “Oh my God.”
“What? You don’t like when I call you that?”
“Jus’ stop talking.” Azzi said, though she meant the exact opposite. She still found herself thinking about the filth Paige had spewed in her ear during their makeout back in Houston. Each time it made her skin burn just thinking about it, knowing there had to be so much more to discover, considering how little they had actually done in hindsight. Her bedroom door was left ajar, so she stood to the side so Paige could enter first, then closed the door behind her. “Sorry, it’s a bit of a mess.”
“It’s really not.” Paige looked around the room like she was taking it in, and it daunted on Azzi that she had never been in here before. “We really don’t gotta do anything.” Paige said quietly, sitting on the foot of her bed. “Don’t wanna pressure you or anything.”
Azzi, digging deep to find a semblance of confidence, took a few steps forward, stopping right next to where Paige was sitting. It was like deja vu, standing above Paige like this again, though this time she was more nervous than the last. She blamed it on the lack of alcohol, because this time the build-up gave her far more opportunity to think or second guess herself or do something stupid like turn Paige away.
Trying to ignore those fears, Azzi lifted a slightly trembling hand to the top button of her pajama top, batting her eyelashes at Paige. “I want to.” After undoing the first two buttons, she stopped, deciding she wanted far less light than what was currently on in her bedroom. She moved to find the light switch, but stilled when a strong hand caught her wrist.
“Where ‘you going?” Paige practically grunted out.
“Turning the lights off. Relax.” Azzi shrugged her hand free, then successfully turned off both lamps by flicking off the switch. The only light remaining was coming from the small nightlight next to her bathroom door. “Is this okay?”
“Yeah.” Paige nodded, making grabby hands toward her. The action would’ve been bizarre if it was anyone else, but with the way Paige was looking at her like she wanted her, sent a jolt of heat through her. “C’mere.”
Azzi returned to her original spot, but when she reached Paige, the older woman stood. “You want me in charge again?”
“‘In charge’ isn’t the way I’d put it.” Azzi said, perching her hands on her hips dramatically. Her voice was quieter than she meant when she added, “But, yeah. You can… do whatever you want.”
Paige’s entire demeanor lit up at that, “Don’t gotta tell me twice.” She started to unbutton her suit jacket, her eyes darkening as she said, “Sit on the bed.”
“A ‘please’ wouldn’t kill you.” Azzi complained, though she did what she was told.
Only after she sat, her ass barely making contact with the bed, did she realize how the positioning was rather seductive. With her hands resting on the comforter, she had accidentally arched her back in a way that exposed her cleavage, the two open buttons of her pajama top leaving little to the imagination.
“What?” Azzi teased when she realized Pagie was staring. She glanced down at herself, before looking back up with a satisfied smirk. “You like what you see?”
“Oh, ‘m so fucked.” Paige rushed to undo the buttons of her jacket, fumbling with the fabric over her shoulders as she tugged it off in a hurry. She was left in just her suit pants, her bare chest exposed. Well, except for her nipple covers, which caused Azzi to essentially laugh in Paige’s face when she noticed them. “Um, why’re you laughing?” Paige said with a confused (although adorable - - again, not that Azzi would ever admit that aloud) pout.
Azzi pointed toward her chest, “Nice pasties.”
Paige looked down, then let out a short chuckle of her own. “Oh, shit.” She took them off carefully, wincing at the adhesive pulling on her skin, then tossed them on top of Azzi’s dresser. God, Paige was something else. Visually speaking, at least. Standing there with her hair pinned up, her nipples hardened now that the covers had been removed, she looked ethereal.
Stepping back in front of her, Paige mirrored the way Azzi had stood earlier, towering over her as she reached for the remaining buttons on Azzi's pajama top. Her hands stopped just short of touching them. “Can I?”
Paige’s fingers were cool against caramel skin, taking her time as she undid each button. Azzi helped her slide the material off fully once she was done. A surge of confidence burst through her when Paige completely stilled in place, her eyes locked on Azzi, back arched and white lace bra accentuating her full breasts. “Okay, there’s no way you slept in this.”
Azzi’s mouth twisted as she fought off a smile. “God forbid a girl was hoping she’d have a nighttime visitor.” The smirk on her lips vanished the moment Paige got on her knees, her hands resting on the mattress beside Azzi’s hips.
Paige flashed her a small smile. “Hi.” Her hands found Azzi’s waist, pulling her forward so she was completely on the edge of the bed.
Faces a mere inch apart, both women remained in limbo, letting the tension between them continue to build. Azzi could practically feel it in her chest, could feel it in the way her chest was rising and falling rapidly with each breath, breasts barely contained by the bra she haphazardly chose earlier.
“Hi.” Azzi whispered back. She kept her hands at her sides, unsure where to even touch Paige at this point. She was waiting, impatiently waiting, for Paige to kiss her. To hopefully experience a kiss unlike anything she had felt before, other than the last time they had been face to face like this.
It took another few seconds, but finally Paige leaned forward that extra inch, their lips simply brushing one another at first. Azzi, deciding she was done exhibiting restraint, tugged Paige closer by the back of her neck, their lips meeting for a second time, but with more passion and heat and something more exchanging between them.
She decided that Paige wearing makeup was a game changer, and she absolutely would be asking her to do this again next time (if there was a next time, of course). The feeling of glossed lips against hers was almost indescribable. Paige’s hands tightened at her waist as she deepened the kiss, her bare chest meeting Azzi’s bra-covered one. The contact made it so their chests rose and fell together as they continued to kiss one another, rarely coming apart for air.
Sick of keeping her hands to herself, Azzi wrapped her arms around Paige’s frame, trying to find her hair, but stopping when she realized it was being held up by a clip. When Paige broke the kiss so they could catch their breaths, Azzi brought one of her hands so it rested just beneath Paige’s hair clip. “Can I take this out?”
“Yeah, sure.” Paige rushed out, opting not to wait for Azzi to remove the clip before kissing her again. Azzi loved the feeling of her fingers raking through blonde locks, loved it even more when Paige groaned as she brought manicured fingers to tug at her lower scalp. They stayed like that for a few minutes, just exploring the feeling of making out with one another. Paige’s tongue kept slipping in and out of her mouth, tracing her bottom lip, sliding against the roof of her mouth, against her tongue.
When impatience took over, Azzi pushed Paige away by bringing a hand to her chest. “Want more.” She whispered.
“Okay,” Paige leaned back on her knees, “But ‘m takin’ my time with you.” Azzi quite literally shivered at those words, more heat coursing through her at the way Paige was looking at her when she stood again; like she was hungry for her. “So fuckin’ hot, damn.” Paige said. Strong hands found Azzi’s, tugging her upwards with a surprising amount of force.
The abruptness of the movement made it so that Azzi was flush against Paige, whose hands landed on the backs of caramel thighs. Azzi could feel her rubbing slow circles against the warm skin there. Taking another moment to just soak it all in, she interlocked her hands behind Paige’s neck and studied her face. Her lips were kiss-swollen, blue eyes significantly darker than before. “What now?” Azzi heard herself ask.
“Now,” Paige started, removing her hands from Azzi’s thighs. Instead, she brought them to ghost against Azzi’s bare lower stomach, her pointer fingers dipping just below her waistline. “I take these off,” She kissed Azzi’s cheek as she pulled on her shorts, “Imma lay you down,” She kissed Azzi’s jaw next, “And Imma make you feel good.”, she said, right in her ear.
Azzi swallowed thickly, desire clouding her usual urge to remain poised. “Do it.” She said roughly. Paige’s fingers were warmer than earlier, a little calloused against her skin as she began to slide the silk fabric of Azzi’s shorts down her legs. She was taking her time, which was partially attractive from how attentive she was being, but also taking away from Azzi’s plan of getting more. She stepped out of the fabric as soon as it reached her ankles, “Please, Paige. Want more.”
“Okay, okay. Here,” Paige made quick work of unzipping her pants and stepping out of them, leaving her in just a pair of calvin klein boxers. Despite how quickly the blonde was moving, Azzi managed to trace her figure with her eyes, another wave of want hitting her from seeing Paige like this. She watched as Paige climbed on the bed, first on all fours, before settling with her back against the pillows by the headboard. “Want you on top, okay?”
God, Azzi was about to go fucking feral with how turned on she was. Paige was laid out for her, naked save her for boxers, her face already flushed and features blown. She didn’t say anything at first, she simply crawled onto the bed, swinging a leg over Paige’s, then settling so she was comfortably straddling the other woman. She felt like she was on cloud nine, straddling Paige like this, her hands rubbing up and down Azzi’s bent thighs again. “This good?”Azzi asked in the most sultry voice she could muster.
“Yeah, you’re perfect like this.” Paige’s hands slid further up, pressing against her lower back so that Azzi started to lean towards her. “C’mere,” She whispered, and Azzi listened, bringing her curls to one side with the hand not pressed against Paige’s shoulder, freeing her face and softly connecting their lips.
Paige’s tongue slipped into her mouth, the feeling both warm and exhilarating at the same time. She kept her mouth parted as she allowed Paige to set the pace, allowed Paige to lick into her with palpable desire. The first grind of her hips against Paige’s pelvis was nothing but sheer relief. The moan that escaped her was almost pornographic, but Azzi couldn’t bring herself to be embarrassed, not when Paige groaned right back, and not when it felt that good.
The thin silk of her thong made it so that the material was bunching against her clit, her movements against Paige prompting waves of pleasure to start to crescend. Two large hands found her ass after a few rounds of Azzi’s grinding, and Azzi let her take control. Paige set the tone so it was slower, but the added pressure of her guiding Azzi made it so that her cunt was sliding against even more of Paige’s waist.
Azzi lowered herself slightly, moving her lips to trail down a pale jaw and neck. She found a spot to take purchase next to Paige’s ear, teeth and swollen lips sucking at the spot. When she added her tongue to the mix, Paige’s hands tightened their hold against Azzi’s ass, her hips bucking upward unexpectedly.
“Azzi,” Paige said suddenly. Hearing her name exit the blonde’s list halted her movements entirely.
She sat up fully, “Yeah? Is something wrong?”
Paige smiled at her, a full and toothy grin taking over her face. “Nah, jus’ wanna move ya a little.” She brought her hands to Azzi’s hips, “Can I?” When Azzi nodded enthusiastically, Paige huffed out a laugh, then lifted Azzi up. At the same time, Paige bent one leg, then placed Azzi so her core landed on the muscle of Paige’s quad.
Paige nodded, her voice rough as she commanded, “Ride my thigh, baby.”
Azzi shuddered, physically shuddered, hearing the pet name slip from Paige’s lips. She watched something flash through blue eyes, and though she knew Paige hadn’t meant to say it, she still really fucking liked hearing it. Knowing she couldn’t verbalize any of this, Azzi surged down to kiss Paige fiercely, and simultaneously grinded down on Paige’s flexed thigh.
And oh. She immediately understood why Paige had placed her there. The feeling of a muscular quad against her core sent Azzi reeling. She moaned against Paige’s lips, her mouth parting to accept Paige’s searching tongue. The grinding was similar to before, but Azzi felt her mindlessly begin to counter Paige’s steering of her ass, trying to speed up and search the high that was building in her abdomen. Her lips brushed Paige’s as she pulled back to whisper, “Holy shit.”
Paige smirked, moving her thigh so it met Azzi’s dripping, thong-covered entrance with slight force. “You close?”
Azzi nodded adamantly, “Y-yeah.” Her voice came out shaky, her breaths starting to become more rapid. Her grinding was almost erratic now, her forehead dropping to Paige’s shoulder and eyes squinting shut in pure bliss. “I’m almost there.”
“You got it, keep movin.’”
She felt, rather than saw, Paige’s hands slip between her thong and the swell of her ass. The contact was almost bruising, with Paige alternating between squeezing the fat of her ass with both hands and flexing her fingers once Azzi’s cunt made contact with her ready thigh. “Swear, ‘m right there.” Azzi choked out, “But I might… need more.”
Paige kissed her neck, which was the part of Azzi that was closest to her lips. “Wanna ride my fingers?”
Azzi blushed at how forward Paige was being, but deep down she was dripping wet at the mere thought of that. She lifted her head from Paige’s shoulder, “Yes please.”
“I gotchu.” Paige slipped her hands out from Azzi’s thong, then tapped once on her hip. “Can you take this off f’me?”
“Okay.” Azzi rolled off Paige’s lap, sat on the open side of the bed, leaned back as casually as she could, and slid the now soaked material off her body. When she turned again, Paige sat up to meet her, moving the decorative pillows on the bed so she could remain more upright.
The blonde lay in a manspread when she gestured for Azzi to come back, “C’mere, ma. Wanna feel you so bad.”
Azzi wasn’t sure if she just had a thing for dirty talk, or if it was hearing these rather filthy words slip from Paige’s lips that was making her this aroused; either way it was really doing something for her, and she couldn’t fight off the smile that emitted from hearing Paige want her so openly.
She straddled Paige’s lap again, her hands toying with the wire of her bra. “Should I take this off?”
Paige gently moved her fingers out of the way, her own moving to find the clasp of it. “Here, lemme.” And of course, because she just had to be a stereotype, Paige managed to unclip her bra on the first try. “‘m so good.” She whispered, almost to herself.
“Shut up and take it off.”
“Yes ma’am.” Paige gently guided the straps off Azzi’s shoulders, handing it over to Azzi, who practically chucked it to the side. Slightly nervous and with her bottom lip caught between her teeth, she watched Paige take in the sight of her bare chest for the first time. Her hands found Azzi’s mid-back, both thumbs brushing brown nipples simultaneously. “Beautiful.”
Azzi tried so hard not to have an outward, physical reaction. Deciding she didn’t want to wait any longer for Paige’s fingers inside of her, she took matters into her own hands. She pecked Paige’s lips once, then braced both hands against her shoulders. She adjusted her spread legs so that her entrance was open and wet, waiting for Paige. “‘m ready.”
Paige squeezed her ass with her left hand, a gasp escaping Azzi at the feeling. “Love these pretty noises you make f’me.” Paige said into her ear. She brought her flexed middle and pointer fingers to Azzi’s entrance, stilling when she was about knuckle-deep. “Can I keep going?”
“Yes.” Azzi breathed out before Paige had even fully finished asking the question. “Want more please.”
“Good girl, using your words.” Paige kissed the divet in her jaw, then pushed her long digits inside of Azzi the rest of the way. Azzi stayed there for a moment, adjusting to the feeling and letting her brain process the fact that Paige’s fingers were inside of her. Paige kissed her jaw again, then the side of her neck. “You can take it, start movin’ baby.”
God, hearing Paige call her that was fucking everything. Azzi took a final deep breath before starting her movements. The first time felt good, the way she lifted herself up and back down Paige’s long fingers, getting used to the feeling. The second time was better, Paige’s fingers reaching deeper inside with the added force of Azzi’s hips.
The third time was heavenly. Paige met her movements halfway, her fingers sliding through Azzi’s hole and grazing spots inside of her that felt euphoric. Azzi increased her pace, riding Paige’s fingers, eyes shut in pleasure and her forehead finding Paige’s shoulder again.
For the next minute or two, the only noise in the bedroom were Azzi’s breathy moans and the wet sounds emitting from her cunt. Paige broke the relative silence by tugging on the back of Azzi’s neck, forcing eye contact. “Can I lay you down?”
Azzi stopped, her voice sultry as she said, “Yeah, but stay inside.”
“Whatever you want.” Paige rushed out, then guided Azzi off her. Her two fingers remained inside of Azzi’s pulsating cunt as she helped the younger woman get situated. Paige positioned herself next to Azzi’s side, her lips grazing Azzi’s ear, “Relax f’me now. Imma take over.”
Then she started fingering her, her pace slower, but with added force. Paige’s lips were back on her, and though Azzi tried to kiss her back, she had to keep pushing away when pleasure took over and she couldn’t catch her breath.
“Oh, Paige.” She moaned out, far louder than she had been previously. Paige’s free hand was circling her clit, the movements persistent and fast around the bundle of nerves. “I’m gonna - - fuck.”
Azzi titled her head back against the pillows, painted toes curling, waves of pleasure consuming her. She had never finished from being fingered before (she wasn’t even sure if she’d ever finished from penetration either), and the feeling, despite being foreign, felt good.
Paige kept going, and Azzi was about to ask her to stop when something… happened. Paige lowered herself, her mouth just barely near Azzi’s cunt, her tongue finding Azzi’s nearly throbbing clit. And while still fucking Azzi with her fingers, the pressure to her clit changed things. “Oh my God, Paigeuh!”
And then she felt it. She felt herself cum against Paige’s hand. She felt that warm sensation curdle through her belly down to her toes. She felt Paige continue to suck at her clit, felt the waves of her release continue to spike through her body. She felt everything.
And Azzi Fudd had officially confirmed that she had never finished properly. Ever.
Finally able to form words, Azzi pushed at Paige’s shoulder, her breath hitching. “Wait, stop. Please.”
Paige immediately withdrew, sensing the shift. She moved upright, hovering on her forearm above Azzi with a look of concern. “Hey, hey. You’re okay. It’s okay.” Her voice was soft, shedding the sexual edge it had moments before. “In through your nose, yeah?” Paige demonstrated the motion, with Azzi following shortly after. “‘n out through your mouth.”
Azzi exhaled, and it helped, especially when they did the exercise a few more times together. But each time her mind circled back to her jarring realization, and how mortified she felt about having to be calmed down in the first place, her breaths would start to quicken again. A thousand questions circled her brain, and her body felt too hot and overwhelmed, and Paige was still inside of her.
Paige pressed a barely there kiss to her shoulder, her thumb rubbing soft circles against the younger woman’s forearm. “‘m right here, Azzi. Just breathe.”
Azzi was convinced her brain needed to be studied. Something had to be fundamentally wrong with her, because here she was again, settling at the sound of Paige actually using her government name. A name rarely used by Paige, and each time it brought her back to reality. God, she was fucking pathetic.
They laid there in silence for a while, Azzi still coming back down to earth, and Paige attentively waiting for her. She looked down at her naked body crumpled against her pillows, with Paige still hovering above her, her blonde hair a mess and concern etched into her features. The combination of everything that just happened sent embarrassment ripping through her, and she brought a palm to her forehead as she nervously started to giggle. “Sorry, that was so embarrassing.”
“No, no, you’re good.” Paige reassured her, though when brown eyes met blue, Azzi could tell she was still worried. “What just happened?”
So, she was definitely not about to tell Paige the truth. She was planning on taking this to the grave; the fact that she just had a minor freakout over realizing she had never finished quite to that extent before, at the ripe age of twenty-six. Definitely not. “I’m fine, sorry.”
Paige’s fingers stopped their scratching, “Was it somethin’ I did?”
“Nooo, not at all.” Azzi sat up fully, once again becoming painfully aware that she was completely naked. She settled for tucking her knees against her chest, figuring it was the least awkward position she could manage. “It wasn’t you.”
“But, Azzi.” Paige said her name again, this time like it physically pained her. “How could it not be?”
Fuck. Fuck her life. She was going to have to bite the bullet, wasn’t she? She could let Paige think it was because of something she did, but the way Paige looked like she was actually hurting at the thought - - yeah, Azzi was going to have to sacrifice her dignity.
“Fine.” Azzi muttered, mostly to herself. “We haven’t really talked about this before, but like, y’know that I’ve never been with a girl right?”
Paige nodded, “Yeah, I know.”
“So… all of my sexual experiences have been with men in the past.”
“Well,” Azzi rubbed the back of her neck, realizing she was going to have to spell this out clear as day for Paige to understand. “Men aren't exactly known for being experts on women's bodies.”
“Oh my God, Paige.” Azzi spoke in an exasperated tone, her arms gesturing at her sides for emphasis. “I’ve never cum like that before!”
A wrinkle appeared between Paige’s brow from her confusion, and for a moment there was nothing but silence filling her bedroom. It was almost laughable how quickly Paige’s face changed once she processed what that meant, her jaw dropping in pure shock. “What?!” Paige’s eyes widened, a delighted, cocky smile taking over her face. Fucking piece of shit. “No way!”
“Yes. Way.” Azzi grumbled, tucking her arms tighter around her chest. “Don’t make fun o’ me.” She could feel the pout on her own face, but it was genuinely the only expression she could uphold without feeling like she might die of embarrassment.
Then, because she is the worst person ever, Paige giggled. A giggle hardly describes the child-like laugh that she apparently couldn’t hold in, with Paige falling back against the headboard, clutching at her stomach. “Sorry, Ion even know why ‘m laughing! I jus’ wasn’t expecting that I guess.”
Azzi groaned loudly, “This is the worst thing that’s ever happened to me.”
“Dude, it’s really not that big ‘o deal.” Paige sat upright so her line of sight was even with Azzi’s. “I’m more laughing ‘cause that was basically nothing.” She cupped Azzi’s jaw, and then she kissed her. Azzi let out a surprised hum, not expecting thin lips to press against her own when the moment was no longer. But she allowed it, allowed Paige to slip her tongue inside and practically suck on her face. Because she loved it, loved being treated like this. Paige was the one to initiate them breaking apart, though their lips were still close when she added, “We’re jus’ getting started baby. You got no idea what’s coming.”
Azzi smirked, “Hopefully me.”
“Whoa!” Paige laughed. It was dorky and way too loud, but Azzi was fucking revelling in the way she caused Paige to laugh that much. “The princess has jokes. Who knew?”
With a scoff and a roll of her eyes, Azzi removered herself from Paige’s grasp. She climbed out of the bed as gracefully as she could muster, though her legs were a little shaky as they made contact with her floor. She reached for her previously discarded pajama top, sliding the material over her shoulders, and started to button it back up. “Imma use the bathroom.”
“‘Kay.” Paige said, her arm propped behind her head as she opened her phone.
Azzi gathered the rest of her discarded clothes, then entered her bathroom and closed the door shut behind her. The second she flicked the light on, she leaned forward, practically clutching the bathroom counter with dear life. She examined herself in the mirror, and couldn’t help but laugh to herself at how disheveled she looked.
Her hair was a frizzy mess, her lips were still swollen, and there were faint marks on her hips. She liked those marks, and even if they were from Paige’s hands holding her rather than her lips, she surprisingly liked seeing the proof of what had just happened on her skin.
She couldn’t have been in the bathroom for longer than five minutes, but by the time she peed, got re-dressed for bed, and brushed her teeth, Paige was no longer in her bedroom. Confused, Azzi followed the trail of light that was emitting from the hallway.
She physically swallowed in order to hide her disappointment, because she was greeted by the sight of Paige, dressed in a tshirt and sweats, laying down with a blanket on her living room couch. Unsure if Paige hadn’t heard her enter the room or was merely ignoring her, Azzi cleared her throat. “You sleeping out here?”
“Yeah. You don’t got a guest room, right?” Paige said casually.
Oh. So she was never actually planning on sleeping in her bed with her. Got it. “Sorry, some of us don’t have full blown bachelor pads.”
Paige’s brows raised, an amused smirk pulling at her lips. “I do not have a bachelor pad.”
“Keep telling yourself that.” Azzi flicked off the hall light, then gave one last look over her shoulder. “Goodnight.”
Azzi left before Paige woke up the next morning. Even though the game wasn’t until seven that evening, she had a busy day filled with training and recovery to attend to. So she left Paige, who appeared to be slumped awkwardly on her living room couch, to fend for herself.
She discovered she sort of liked the feeling of having this secret that no one knew about. She wasn’t a stranger to keeping secrets, but this one wasn’t hurting her at least. It was just hard to explain, and (for the most part) purely sexual. It was freeing, and she liked it.
When she got back to her apartment to change for the game, she expected Paige to be long gone. But somehow, the blonde was still there. Azzi heard the sound of her shower running the moment her apartment door opened, “Bitch didn’t even ask if she could.”, she grumbled to herself.
She was freshly changed in her tunnel fit and eating a pre-game meal at her kitchen counter when Paige finally exited the bathroom. She was clad in her own tunnel fit that was, well, not Azzi’s favorite thing in the world. “Oh my God, why’re you in a canadian suit?”
“Pretty sure the phrase is canadian tux,” Paige corrected, then shook her head like she hadn’t fully realized what Azzi had said. “What, you don’t like it?”
Now, Azzi was pretty sure Paige could pull of anything. She had seen an outfit or two pop up on her feed that Paige would wear, ones she wouldn’t quite wear herself, but somehow Paige still looked good. But Azzi always made it her life’s mission to humble Paige, so there was no chance she would ever say any of that. “It’s just… a lot of jeans.”
“C’mon, I know you like it.” Paige sauntered into the kitchen, stopping next to where Azzi was seated, leaning against the counter. “You look pretty.”
Azzi blushed, tucking her chin against her chest. Her outfit wasn’t anything crazy, just a white cropped halter top with a pair of black jeans. But the way Paige lowered her voice to provide the complement, and the way she brought her fingers to toy with the strap of her top, Azzi almost shivered from the intensity of it all.
She cleared her throat and stood quickly, moving to place her empty bowl in the sink. “When do you leave?”
“Um. I dunno. Whenever you do.”
“What?” Azzi’s head whipped toward her. “We can’t leave at the same time, what if someone sees?”
Paige’s confusion only became more apparent as she said, “Actually, I was hoping to go with you.”
“Paige, you can’t be serious.” Azzi ran a hand over her braided bun, “We can’t be seen together in public.” She let out a long sigh, then took a few steps forward until she was stopped in front of the other woman. “I think we should have some ground rules here.”
“For starters, which should be obvious, no telling anyone about this.” She gestured between the two of them. “Not even that we’re friends or anything.”
“So we still act like we hate each other? In public and shit?”
“Mhm.” Azzi raised a brow, “You haven’t said otherwise to anyone right?”
Paige shook her head, “No, I wasn’t sure if I should.”
“Good. Don’t.” Azzi nodded, more to herself than anything. “Okay, rule number two is we still need to fight around other people.”
Paige’s face practically lit up, “You sayin’ I should pick a fight with you today?”
“Nothing crazy, but yes.” Azzi’s stomach twisted in a mixture of excitement and also concern for what that could possibly mean. “And the last rule is we can only be…” Her voice trailed off as she suddenly felt insecure, not wanting to flat out label whatever the fuck was happening between them so bluntly. “We can only be intimate when it’s jus’ us two.”
Paige, who most likely wasn’t processing the full extent of what Azzi had meant, scoffed. She took a final step forward and planted both hands on Azzi’s hips, her touch warm against Azzi’s exposed skin. “I would hope so.” She removed one of her hands, choosing to cup Azzi’s jaw instead. “Can I add a rule?”
Azzi rolled her eyes, trying not to show just how exhilarated she was from Paige casually touching her like this. “Depends what it is.”
“No being intimate,” There was a glint of mischief in blue eyes when she started, and okay, maybe she did understand what Azzi was alluding to before. “With anyone else.”
Azzi really should be used to this game of push-and-pull when it came to Paige, but somehow she still found herself caught off guard often. There was something to be said for how she was able to keep her composure, because deep down she was ecstatic to hear this. Between the two of them, she figured it would be Paige who was sleeping with other people.
Especially after Azzi’s confession from last night, she was confused as to how Paige possibly thought there was anyone else. But the knowledge that Paige wasn’t with anyone else was the perfect motivation for her to lock in for tonight’s game. “Okay, that can be rule number four.”
Azzi had seen a lot of drama unfold in real time in the world of womens basketball. It was deep down one of her favorite parts of the league, watching as her friends, rivals, acquaintances all had some of the most insane lore she had ever heard of with one another.
She never thought she would be an actual part of that insanity, but here she was. Playing against her formal rival’s team - - her formal rival who made her cum so hard she cried the night before. And, her rival who was still a public enemy of hers.
The Sparks season had been subpar for the most part, and it seemed that the Liberty were about to pull away with their third win against the western-conference team this season. But, not without a relentless performance from Paige Bueckers. Eighteen points already going into the second half, and she had yet to let up despite the twenty-seven point deficit LA was enduring.
After the disaster of the last time they played one another, Azzi was not assigned to guard Paige. Though, this time, Paige also wasn’t assigned to Azzi. They had limited interactions for the first half, save for a loose ball they both lunged for, which resulted in a jump that Paige ultimately won. (Azzi rarely put effort into trying to win mid-game tips. Spare her, she was a princess after all, and that was a fight she was really not interested in partaking in).
LA did come out with high-intensity at the start of the third quarter, though that wasn’t a total shock. Paige was at the forefront, running the point with a command that Azzi, for once, admitted to herself that she found hot.
And because there always had to be some form of headline-inducing incident when their respective teams faced one another, something happened that was one hundred percent incriminating. That was almost an understatement.
It started with an inbounds play, in which Marine passed the ball to Jonquel in the paint. Jonquel drove to the basket, but with some contact from Cam, she missed, sending the ball flying and loose. Now, when Azzi Fudd saw a loose ball in her general vicinity, it was like everything else faded.
In a split second, three things happened at once. One - - she lunged for the ball, ignoring the potential repercussions and attempting to somehow pull the ball into her possession. Two - - another body collided with her back, sending her flying forward, the ball slipping out of her grasp, and forcing her to land abruptly on her stomach. Three - - the body of whoever knocked the ball out of her hands landed square on top of her, someone else’s chest forcefully making full contact with her back.
Whoever it was had more of a chance to recover, because she only felt their chest on her back briefly, before they maneuvered themselves to land on their forearms above her instead. Then, their hands made contact with her sides, helping guide her upward. At first, she was incredibly confused, fully prepared to get up on her own. The angle was awkward, prompting the two women to take a few steps forward together as they both got to their feet. Then, once she was standing fully, an unfortunately familiar laugh sounded in her ear, and Azzi felt her face turn ghostly white.
Her head whipped to the side, her eyes widening when she realized Paige not only just helped her up by the waist, but her hands were still on Azzi’s sides. “Get off me!”
Paige dropped her hands, somehow keeping her face neutral. “What? You told me to pick a fight!”
Fortunately, due to the ongoing professional basketball game they were avidly participating in, Azzi didn’t have time to think over how probably incriminating that interaction just was. Instead, she sprinted to the other side of the court, a loose ball foul being called, meaning it was LA’s possession.
Unfortunately, the contact did nothing to help the continuous injury she had been suffering with her wrist. She tried to flex her fingers, but stopped when the pain only worsened. Returning her focus on guarding Rae, she did her best to ignore the throbbing sensation.
She was almost at the finish line, almost able to make it through the end of the game just barely getting by, when it happened. She went up to block a layup from Rae, and despite successfully smacking the ball away without a foul-call, using her right hand wasn’t the smartest choice.
She winced as soon as it happened, tucking her wrist to her chest. New York’s team of trainers, who had been aware of the lingering issue for months now, were at her side almost as soon as the ball went out of bounds.
They subbed her out, and she went right to the locker room to get evaluated. Everything felt like a blur, and Azzi laid there with her arm on the armrest of the recliner, barely paying attention while the medical team examined her. “We definitely need to have the team doctor do an x-ray.” Lacy, the head trainer on their staff, informed her. “Sit tight while we get the machines ready, okay?”
Azzi just nodded, her brain entirely elsewhere. She knew the constant falls were only worsening the injury that never quite healed, but she really thought she could push through the rest of the season. Especially with New York’s chances of making a run in the postseason, now was not the time to be dealing with a broken wrist.
“Azzi, your sister and her fiance are outside.” Melanie, another staff member who had been attending to her, said. “Do you want to see them or should I tell them to wait?”
Knowing she was going to have to face the couple sooner or later, Azzi gave another dull nod. “They can come in.”
Obviously there were a lot of emotions flowing through Azzi as she processed the possibility of this injury being season-ending. Adrenaline had yet to settle, and she was still a little out of it.
So, when Olivia entered the locker room with a freaking Sparks jersey on, a luminous ‘5’ apparent in the middle of it, Azzi couldn’t help but bark out, “What the fuck is that?”
Her sister barely made it three steps into the room before freezing. “Huh?” She looked down at herself, then back up at Azzi. “What’s wrong?”
“Your jersey, babe.” Jared offered, stepping past Olivia in order to reach Azzi, giving the front of his own shirt a tug. He was wearing one of the Liberty’s ‘New York or Nowhere’ long sleeves, the custom ‘35’ stitched across the back after he’d had it made a few months earlier. “We switched this time,” he said with a grin. “I’m repping you, don’t worry.”
Azzi scoffed, purposefully not looking over at her sister again, even as she eventually made her way over. “Thank you, Jared.” She put on her most abrasive voice, “Will you please tell my sister I will not be speaking to her until she takes that Jersey off?”
“Oh, so it’s like that?” Olivia scoffed. “Fine. Jared, will you tell Azzi that I haven’t been to one of Paige’s games all season, and we’re here to support both of them?”
Jared dropped his head into both hands. “I knew this was bouta happen.” He muttered, his face red when he stood fully again. “And ‘m not getting in the middle of this.”
A tense silence filled the room for a moment, and Azzi quite literally forgot where she was until Lacy returned to her side with the x-ray machine in tow. “Excuse me,” She said to Olivia, who was naturally standing in the way of the giant machine. “Sorry, just have to get past you.”
“Oh, sorry.” Olivia stepped back, her new spot making it so Azzi literally had nothing to look at besides the putrid yellow and purple jersey. “So you think it’s broken?”
Azzi knew the question was aimed at her, but she was too overwhelmed with both her anger at her sister and the situation at hand to respond. Lacy, who then assumed the question was for her, spoke while she slid Azzi’s arm into the machine. “Based on her pain levels and the swelling, there’s a possibility. We’re about to find out.”
Azzi kept perfectly still while the machine captured various angles of her wrist and arm. Laying her arm flat so the back of her hand was against the floor of the machine hurt like a bitch, but she powered through for the sake of getting an answer sooner.
“So, we have to send these to the radiologist, who won’t be in until the morning.” Lacy said. The athletic trainer finally gave Azzi permission to remove her hand from the machine. She handed over a splint next, one with velcro straps across the top. “Wear this for now, and we’ll call you as soon as we hear from Dr. Rivera.”
Azzi accepted the splint, beginning to undo the velcro so she could slide her injured hand through. “Can I leave then? Games over anyway.” She gestured toward the television above her, one that was displaying the Liberty’s victory celebration that was taking place without her.
Switching places with Lacy, Melanie handed Azzi her belongings that had been left behind in the locker room. “Are you okay to drive?”
“We can drive you.” Olivia said. She took the Jordan duffle from Azzi, “I mean, if you don’t want to wait and all.”
Azzi agreed, and even though she was still livid with Olivia, she would prefer to get home sooner rather than later. She remained rather silent in the back of Jared’s truck, only adding to the conversation when it was completely necessary or when Jared spoke directly to her.
When they got to her block, a few thoughts hit Azzi at once. She knew her sister would want to help her get situated, to make sure she was okay even if they were in the midst of a sister spat. But, she humbly assumed (and hoped) that Paige would be back soon, and the dead last thing she needed was for Olivia to discover Paige at her apartment.
Because of their rules. Obviously. Not for any other reason.
“I’ll be fine to stay by myself.” Azzi said as Jared pulled to a stop. “I’d rather be alone, actually.”
“You sure? I really don’t mind.” Olivia turned around from the passenger seat to face her. “At least let me carry your bag up.”
“I’m good. My arm still works.” She muttered, slinging said bag over her left shoulder. “I’ll text you guys. Thanks for driving me, Jared.” She didn’t wait for a response before slamming the car door shut, practically speed-walking into her apartment building.
She was mid-unlocking her door when she got a text from Paige.
u okay? i can get a hotel room if u want to be alone
Azzi dropped her duffle by the door, reaching for her water bottle and then treading towards her bedroom. Trying to type with one hand, let alone her non-dominant one, was challenging. Besides it literally being hard to type like that, it also gave her way too much time to process Paige’s message than normal.
Because, for whatever reason, she still wanted Paige to stay over. She wanted the girl to distract her, both with her normal annoying tendencies that bothered her on a good day, and with (hopefully) continuing their exploration of one another’s bodies. Sue her, it had been a long day.
But then she really thought about Paige offering to get a hotel room, and paused. Was this her polite way of saying she didn’t want to have to deal with Azzi right now? Would seeing her in a potentially vulnerable state break the rules they had just come up with?
A second and third text came through before she had the chance to answer.
u can kick me out if u want but id like to make sure ur alive first
Azzi stared at the messages. Once again not sure why she was even putting up a fight in the first place, she conceded.
but i’m not in a good mood so don’t push it
"i yell your name, Cinderella, never gonna find nobody better, all my life..."
a/n: thank u sm for reading!! next chapter/part two soon 🤗
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