#cooper flagg

The first time the public really understood that Y/N Y/L/N and Cooper Flagg were serious was when the cameras caught them leaving Cameron Indoor together months before the draft.

They were both only eighteen.

Too young, the media said.

Too much pressure, the analysts claimed.

But none of those people saw the quiet parts of their relationship.

It had started so normally that it almost felt unbelievable now.

Back before the cameras.

Before the mock drafts.

Before the words “projected #1 overall pick.”

Back when Cooper was just the tall, slightly awkward freshman who sat crosslegged on the couch in Y/N’s dorm room while she tried to braid his hair just to see if it would work.

It didn’t.

He had laughed the whole time.

“You’re pulling my scalp out,” he complained, ducking his head while she tried to twist another section.

“You’re dramatic,” she shot back, squinting at the messy braid. “And you have too much hair.”

He leaned back against the couch cushions, long legs stretched out across the carpet.

“Still dating me though.”

She rolled her eyes but smiled.

“Unfortunately.”

Dating Cooper Flaggs meant dating a whirlwind.

They were talking about her.

Everywhere.

TikTok clips.

Twitter threads.

Reddit posts.

“Who is Cooper Flagg’s girlfriend?”

“Is she a distraction?”

“Does the future #1 pick need to focus more?”

Y/N tried not to read it.

Most of the time she succeeded.

But sometimes she didn’t.

And those nights usually ended with Cooper finding her staring at her phone with her jaw clenched.

“Hey,” he’d say softly, crouching in front of her.

His big hands would gently pull the phone from her grip.

“You promised.”

“I know,” she’d whisper.

He’d press his forehead to hers.

“None of those people know you.”

And the thing was…

He meant it.

By the time the NBA Draft rolled around, the pressure on Cooper was unimaginable.

Every analyst expected the same thing.

First pick.

Generational prospect.

Future superstar.

The draft was being held in New York that year, and the city buzzed like electricity.

Inside their hotel room that afternoon, Cooper was pacing while adjusting the cuffs of his suit jacket for the hundredth time.

“Do you think it’s too tight?” he asked.

Y/N didn’t even look up from the mirror where she was finishing her makeup.

“You asked me that five times.”

“Yeah but this time I mean it.”

She finally turned around.

He looked perfect.

Tall.

Sharp navy suit.

Hair neatly styled.

But he still looked nervous.

“Cooper.”

“What.”

“You’re going first.”

“I know.”

“You’re going first,” she repeated slowly.

He exhaled.

“Yeah.”

“And you’re still worried about your sleeves?”

He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

“Maybe.”

That made her laugh.

Then she stood up.

And Cooper turned around.

And immediately froze.

“Whoa.”

She was wearing a dress he hadn’t seen yet.

She’d kept it a surprise.

It was deep midnight blue, hugging her waist before flowing down, with a slit that ran high up her leg. The fabric shimmered under the hotel lights, and the neckline dipped just enough to make Cooper’s brain short-circuit.

He blinked twice.

Then dragged a hand over his mouth.

“Whewww.”

Y/N burst out laughing.

“What?”

“You cannot wear that.”

“Excuse me?”

“You’re trying to get me drafted second,” he said, pointing dramatically. “I’m gonna walk in there and forget my name.”

She rolled her eyes.

“You’re ridiculous.”

He stepped closer, looking her up and down again.

“Seriously though.”

His voice dropped.

“You look insane.”

Her cheeks warmed slightly.

“Good insane?”

“Like…” he shook his head, searching for words. “Like I’m gonna have to fight half the league insane.”

She shoved his shoulder.

“Relax.”

But secretly, his reaction made her feel amazing.

The night started perfectly.

Flashbulbs.

Red carpet interviews.

Commentators shouting questions.

“Cooper, how does it feel being the projected number one pick?”

“Who are you wearing tonight?”

“And who’s the beautiful woman with you?”

He answered calmly.

But every time he finished an interview, he’d glance back at Y/N like he was making sure she was still there.

And every time she smiled.

Everything felt surreal.

Until the commentary started.

At first it was subtle.

A reporter whispering near the stage.

A commentator muttering on live TV.

Then it became louder.

Crueler.

“Interesting outfit choice.”

“Pretty bold look for draft night.”

“Some might say she’s trying to steal the spotlight.”

“Is that really appropriate for a teenager?”

Y/N heard every word.

Even when people thought she couldn’t.

One reporter leaned toward another.

“She’s definitely enjoying the attention.”

Y/N’s smile tightened.

Across the room, Cooper was doing an interview.

He didn’t hear it.

But she did.

And the longer the night went on…

The worse it got.

Finally it was time.

The commissioner stepped to the podium.

The arena quieted.

“With the first pick in the NBA Draft…”

Cameras immediately swung toward Cooper.

Y/N grabbed his hand under the table.

He squeezed back.

“…the Dallas Mavericks select…”

A pause.

Then the words everyone expected.

“…Cooper Flagg.”

The room exploded.

Cheers.

Applause.

Cameras flashing.

Cooper stood immediately, stunned, smiling in disbelief.

Y/N stood with him.

She wrapped her arms around him first.

He hugged her tight.

“Holy-”

“You did it,” she whispered.

Then he turned to hug his parents.

His agent.

More cameras flooded around them.

Someone pulled him toward the stage.

And suddenly, Y/N was standing slightly behind him.

Still smiling.

Still waiting.

When Cooper turned after hugging his family, she instinctively lifted her arms again.

But a staff member was already guiding him toward the aisle.

“Right this way.”

The cameras followed him.

Not her.

And for a split second…

She was left there.

Arms half raised.

Hug hanging in the air.

It only lasted two seconds.

Maybe three.

But the internet caught it immediately.

By the time Cooper walked across the stage and shook hands with the commissioner, the clip was already spreading online.

“Girlfriend left hanging.”

“Awkward moment at draft.”

“Did Cooper Flagg ignore his girlfriend?”

Meanwhile, Y/N sat back down, pretending nothing happened.

Clapping.

Smiling.

But the media whispers had only gotten worse.

“She looks upset.”

“Well maybe she shouldn’t have worn that dress.”

“Trying to make it about herself.”

The comments sliced through the noise.

Later that night, when Cooper finally pushed through the crowd backstage, the first thing he did was look for her.

“Where is she?”

He spotted her near the wall.

Still smiling politely for photos.

But her shoulders were tight.

He walked straight up to her.

Without saying a word, he pulled her into a hug.

A real one.

Tight.

Lifting her slightly off the ground.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured into her hair.

“For what?”

“For everything.”

She pulled back.

“You just got drafted number one.”

“I know.”

“And you’re apologizing?”

He looked down at her.

“You got left hanging.”

She laughed softly.

“You noticed?”

“Of course I did.”

He brushed his thumb under her eye gently.

“You okay?”

Y/N glanced around at the cameras.

At the reporters.

At the flashing lights.

Then back at him.

“I will be.”

He nodded slowly.

Then wrapped his arm around her waist.

Pulling her close.

“Good.”

The months after the NBA Draft were supposed to feel like the beginning of something magical.

For Cooper Flagg, they were.

For Y/N Y/L/N, they were something else entirely.

Something heavier.

Something exhausting.

Summer slowly faded into early fall, and life had split in two directions.

Cooper was in Texas now, adjusting to life with the Dallas Mavericks. His days were packed with workouts, rookie media appearances, film sessions, and the endless blur of NBA expectations.

Meanwhile, Y/N was back on campus at Duke University.

Trying to be normal.

Trying to go to class.

Trying to exist.

But normal had disappeared the moment Cooper’s name was called first overall.

The first time she noticed it was outside her dorm building.

She stepped outside early one morning, backpack slung over one shoulder, coffee in hand, hair tied up lazily.

And there were two cameras.

Standing across the sidewalk.

They weren’t subtle either.

The moment she stepped outside..

Click.

Click.

Click.

She froze.

One of the men lifted his camera slightly.

“Morning, Y/N.”

Her stomach dropped.

“How did you-”

“Any comment about Cooper’s rookie season expectations?”

“Do you plan on moving to Dallas?”

“Were you upset about the draft night moment?”

Her chest tightened.

She hadn’t even made it to class yet.

“I… I’m late,” she muttered quietly before walking past them.

But the cameras followed.

Every step.

Click.

Click.

Click.

It didn’t stop there.

Over the next few weeks, it became routine.

Outside lecture halls.

Walking through the quad.

Leaving the dining hall with her friends.

Someone always had a phone out.

Someone always whispered.

Sometimes it was reporters.

Sometimes it was just students recording her for TikTok.

“Wait that’s Cooper Flagg’s girlfriend.”

“Ask her about the hug thing.”

“I heard he’s already cheating in Dallas.”

“Do you think she’s gonna move?”

The comments never stopped.

And slowly, quietly…

Y/N began shrinking.

She stopped sitting in the front of classes.

Stopped lingering outside after lectures.

Stopped going to campus events with her friends.

The world felt smaller now.

Like every step she took was being watched.

Judged.

Analyzed.

One afternoon, she sat alone on a bench near Duke’s gardens, staring down at her phone.

Her group chat was blowing up.

Links.

Videos.

Tweets.

A sports show clip played automatically.

A panel of commentators sat around a desk.

One of them leaned forward with a smirk.

“Listen, I’m not saying Cooper Flagg’s girlfriend is a distraction…”

Pause.

“But I’m saying she’s everywhere.”

Another analyst chuckled.

“That draft night dress definitely started the conversation.”

Y/N shut her phone off.

Her hands trembled slightly.

The words echoed in her head.

Distraction.

She pressed her palms against her eyes.

For the first time in weeks…

She felt very, very small.

Meanwhile, in Dallas, Cooper was finishing practice.

Sweat clung to his neck as he grabbed his phone from the locker room bench.

He had three missed FaceTime calls from Y/N.

His stomach tightened immediately.

He called back.

The phone rang.

Once.

Twice.

Then she answered.

“Hey,” she said softly.

Something about her voice made his chest tighten.

“Hey my love,” he replied gently.

There was a pause.

“You okay?”

“I’m fine.”

He leaned against the locker.

“You sure?”

“Just tired.”

Cooper knew that tone.

The one where she was trying to sound normal.

He ran a hand through his hair.

“What happened today?”

“Nothing.”

“Y/N.”

Another pause.

Then her voice cracked slightly.

“They were outside my dorm again.”

His jaw clenched instantly.

“The reporters?”

“Yeah.”

Silence filled the line.

Then she whispered something that broke his heart.

“I don’t feel loved anymore, Coop.”

The words hit him like a punch.

“What?”

“I just feel like…” she struggled to explain. “Everyone hates me. Like I’m the villain in your story.”

His chest tightened.

“You’re not.”

“But that’s how they treat me.”

He didn’t hesitate.

“Pack a bag.”

“What?”

“Come to Dallas.”

She blinked on the other end of the call.

“Cooper-”

“I’m serious.”

“Your schedule-”

“I’ll make time.”

He exhaled slowly.

“I just need you here.”

Two days later, she landed in Texas.

The warm Dallas air wrapped around her as she stepped outside the airport.

Her nerves buzzed in her chest.

She hadn’t seen Cooper in almost a month.

A black SUV waited near the curb.

The driver smiled politely.

“Miss Y/L/N?”

“Yes?”

“Mr. Flagg asked me to bring you to him.”

Her heart skipped.

The car pulled up to a quiet house outside the city.

When she stepped out, the front door was already open.

And Cooper stood there.

Tall.

Barefoot.

Wearing a simple hoodie and sweatpants.

The moment he saw her, his face softened.

“Hey my love.”

Before she could say anything, he walked down the steps and wrapped his arms around her.

Not rushed.

Not distracted.

Just warm.

Secure.

She buried her face in his chest.

God, she missed him.

“I missed you,” he murmured into her hair.

“I missed you too.”

Then he gently took her hand.

“Come here.”

He led her inside.

And the moment she stepped into the living room, she stopped.

The entire space was filled with white roses.

Hundreds of them.

Arranged across tables.

Along the windows.

Soft petals glowing in the evening light.

Her mouth fell open.

“Cooper…”

He scratched the back of his neck shyly.

“I didn’t know what else to do.”

Her eyes watered immediately.

“You filled your house with flowers?”

“Well,” he shrugged sheepishly, “you like white roses.”

She laughed through tears.

“I do.”

He stepped closer.

Gently cupping her face.

“Listen to me.”

She looked up at him.

“You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” he said firmly.

His voice was steady.

Certain.

“I don’t care what the media says.”

He brushed a tear from her cheek.

“I don’t care what people online think.”

His forehead rested against hers.

“I love you.”

Her chest tightened.

“I just… needed to hear that.”

His arms wrapped around her again.

“You’ll hear it every day if you want.”

She smiled softly.

Standing there in the middle of a room full of white roses.

For the first time in months…

Y/N finally felt like someone saw her.

Not the headlines.

Not the commentary.

Just her.

ynusername added to their stories!

february 28th **

cooper_flagg replied to your first story!

god i miss you

it's been a month yet feels like forever

⤷ i miss you too

⤷ it feels strange being here

⤷ but i'll be back before you know it ;))

you better.

cooper_flagg replied to your thrid story!

so pretty bambi

gonna expose you for wearing glasses when you don't need them...

⤷ excuse me??

⤷ these are blue light glasses so they don't affect my vision as much

i guess...

they suit you very well

⤷ of course they do

⤷ i'm me.

gonna call you in a bit

ynusername

march 14th **

liked by; bestfriend, cooper_flagg, oldmutual, bestfriend, bestfriend, oldmutual, bestfriend, oldmutual, and 11.2k others!

ynusername ; never wanna leave ;((

comments;

cooper_flagg: well you have to

cooper_flagg: i'm going crazy without you

cooper_flagg: how am i supposed to wait until april??

⤷ ynusername: it'll pass by fast <33

bestfriend: london gyal now 😍😍

bestfriend: girl where is your coat????? it's in the negatives there.

⤷ ynusername: it was behind the scenes, trust i am not walking around like this 😭😭

bestfriend: NEW HAIRRR OMGG

bestfriend: don't leave then... we can stay here and live that european life

⤷ ynusername: tbh not having an ac is lowkey making me tweak 😄😄

oldmutual: omggg londonnn

view 129 comments posted!

cooper_flagg

april 3rd **

liked by; dukembb, chime, att, ynusername, newbalance, gatorade, cbbfanpage, ynusername, bestfriend, kon2knueppel, mavsfan101, overtime, dukebarstool, mavsnation, worldstar, nbaovertime, and 309.3k others!

cooper_flagg ; the work continues

comments;

kon2knueppel: 👊👊

mavsfan101: can we start winning some games please?

dukebarstool: cooper we love you man but cmon... we just want some more wins

⤷ user44: it's useless atp

randoo21: the breakup is hitting him hard

user09: work continues because he scored 50 points tonight...

⤷ mavsfan23: he better win roty

nbaovertime: legend

gatorade: we pledge allegience to the flagg

⤷ user81: i guess

randoo33: him and his girl broke up, which explains these back-to-back losses

user41: we thought the breakup would help him

⤷ user21: how is an individual breakup going to help a team effort? go touch grass

view 2,873 comments posted!

ynusername added to their stories!

april 15th - april 19th **

bestfriend replied to your first story!

AHHHHH

MY FAVS ARE REUNITEDDDD

wait...

why are we still soft launching

that is cooper right???

⤷ yes it is LMAOO

⤷ girl yk i love to be mysterious, xx

so happy you guys are together!! <33

⤷ we are too

⤷ i'll see you soon 😉

cooper_flagg replied to your third story!

😍😍😍😍

in awe

my bambi

even if you don't give me credits

⤷ my camera. my rules.

⤷ thank you for breakfast this morning, xx

did you see the gift??

⤷ i did, i'll repay you somehow

i can think of a few ideas...

⤷ last time we almost did one of your ideas we almost died...

bestfriend replied to your fourth story!

what number are you so we can support??

⤷ LMAOOO

⤷ not on the lineup unless they need a last minute miracle goal

⤷ look for 32

we're supporting your football journey 😍😕

cooper_flagg added to their stories!

april 15th - april 19th **

ynusername replied to your first story!

i hate we don't have this good of a nando's back home

⤷ it was absolutely delicious

⤷ i see why you ate this almost everyday 😂😂

and you didn't want to believe me

just admit it

i'm the goat when it comes to food

⤷ never.

⤷ ms. only eats dino nuggets

ynusername replied to your second story!

loving the millenial pose

it's so you coded

⤷ it wasn't my intention

⤷ i just had to make sure everyone was in it

if you see marlon, tell him i say hi

⤷ uh 🤔🤔

⤷ no.

meanie

dallasmavs

april 29th **

liked by; dukembb, chime, att, ynusername, cooperflagg, nba, newbalance, gatorade, and 700.8k others!

dallasmavs ; ONE OF NONE. COOPER FLAGG IS YOUR 25-26 ROOKIE OF THE YEAR! #MFFLAGG

comments;

mavsnation: LFGGGGGG

randoo11: ROTYYYYYYYYY

user10: and they doubted him. look at him stunning

chime: well deserved, enjoy the moment cooper

dukembb: our champion

att: earned not given 🙌

nba: CONGRATS COOP

newbalance: SAY IT LOUDERRRR

gatorade: THAT'S OUR BOYYY 🗣️🗣️

fortnite: ANOTHER #VictoryRoyale

userr4: overrated and undeserved, kon was the clear winner

user31: won it without a gf

⤷ randoo18: i think she's still present tbh

⤷ user30: nah they're done

view 3,539 comments posted!

mavsbarstool

april 29th

liked by; cbbfanpage, mavsfan101, overtime, dukebarstool, tmz, mavsnation, worldstar, nbaovertime, and 87.1K others!

mavsbarstool ; it's being announced that ynusername was indeed present at cooper flagg's roty award presentation...

comments;

user12: weird they didn't say anything??

rando39: why all this fuss when they've been together all this time???

⤷ user8: people are just nosy

randoo55: oh she looks so good

user12: all those rumors just for them to be together i'm crying

user44: so they never broke up?

⤷ rando14: nope

⤷ user53: you don't know that

⤷ user20: he's been commenting and liking her stuff on her page

⤷ rando81: he was also just in london with her

⤷ rando87: she never moved away, she only did a semester abroad and now she's back

user92: right so... weird

view 822 comments posted!

ynusername added to their stories!

cooper_flagg replied to your second story!

fuck

so beautiful bambi

tell me i didn't do a good job

⤷ you're getting better by the second!! <33

i have the best teacher

cooper_flagg replied to your third story!

moments before disaster LMAOO

⤷ to be fair that bird came and attacked us out of no where

⤷ next thing i know i'm in the water

⤷ and you're crying of laughter

it was funny, admit it

⤷ no (i almost peed myself)

bestfriend replied to your fourth story!

no way this man is playing basketball while on a vacation...

⤷ THANK YOU

⤷ YOU GET IT

⤷ he did it because a little kid, mind you, beat the high score

⤷ so there he goes and beats it twice

HELP

he is so unserious

⤷ a literal child

cooper_flagg added to their stories!

ynusername replied to your second story!

i was going to use this picture

copying me now aren't we

⤷ finders keepers 🤷🤷

just say you want to be me so bad

⤷ i want you so badddd

not what i said... but me too

ynusername replied to your third story!

give me another reason why we can't adopt him

⤷ is me being allergic to them not enough?

you'll get used to it after a while

⤷ bruh

cooper_flagg added to their stories!

bestfriend replied to your second story!

why is she working on vacation??

⤷ she’s “studying”

⤷ allegedly

can’t blame her, the scenery is perfect for the occasion

⤷ but then that means she won’t spend time with me…

you’ll survive

you did it when she went abroad to london

⤷ don’t remind me… that was so hard

ynusername replied to your third story!

love how these past stories are all me

you’re my number one fan

⤷ it’s the other way around bambi

ehhh idkkk

whatever helps you sleep at night

⤷ you do

⤷ i love you

me more

now hurry because i’m hungry

ynusername

liked by; cooper_flagg, dukembb, chime, att, ynusername, newbalance, gatorade, cbbfanpage, ynusername, bestfriend, kon2knueppel, mavsfan101, overtime, dukebarstool, mavsnation, worldstar, nbaovertime, and 793.7k others!

ynusername ; getaway with my lover!! <33 proud of you baby ;))

comments;

ynusername: so many likes... okay i'm going private again...

cooper_flagg: my gorgeous girlfriend i love you

cooper_flagg: wouldn't want to spend my time anywhere if it isn't with you :))

⤷ ynusername: i guess me too ;//

⤷ cooper_flagg: what is that supposed to mean 😒😒

⤷ ynusername: shh not here...

bestfriend: why is he ruining your aesthetic photo dump??

⤷ ynusername: he forced me to, i swear

⤷ cooper_flagg: and because of all these aesthetic pics i took, which she is giving no credit for...

comments are limited!

Sharp suit. Fresh haircut. That slow-burn energy radiating off him like the second before a summer storm.

“You’re gonna wear a hole in the carpet,” I teased, setting the curler down.

He turned. “I can’t stop thinking about it.”

“The draft?”

“Everything. What if I trip? What if I forget how to talk? What if they call the wrong name?”

I stood up and crossed the room toward him, bare feet on the plush carpet, the hem of my robe brushing against my legs. I wrapped my arms around his waist from behind and rested my cheek against his back. He felt his heart going off like a drum.

“Cooper,” I whispered, “they’re not calling the wrong name. You know that.”

He didn’t answer right away.

I turned him toward me gently and tilted my head back to look up at him.

He looked beautiful. Nervous. A little flushed. The most human version of the boy I’d fallen for.

“Do you know what I see?” I asked him.

“What?”

I traced the lapel of his jacket, fingers gliding over the stitching.

“I see the kid who used to shoot hoops at midnight until his hands were raw. I see the boy who learned how to fold my laundry better than me. I see the man who knows how to hold me like he means it.”

He swallowed.

“I see someone who already made it,” I said. “The cameras, the lights, the stage? That’s just the world catching up.”

He looked at me like I’d just handed him oxygen.

“I don’t deserve you,” he whispered.

“You keep saying that like it’s not my line.”

He smiled — the real one, not the press-ready one. The one that only came out when it was just the two of us.

Then he stepped back to look at me. Really, look at me.

“You’re not even dressed yet,” he said.

I smirked. “Waiting on my glam team, duh.”

His hands found my waist. “Can I be your glam team?”

“Depends. Do you know how to zip a gown?”

He leaned down and kissed the corner of my mouth. “I know how to unzip one.”

“Okay, relax, Mr. First Pick.”

He laughed, and the sound warmed the whole room.

[…]

We'd music playing softly from my phone — a playlist I’d made for fun one night, labeled 'vibey but hot' — and the light outside was gold, bleeding slowly into the skyline. It felt like the universe was holding its breath with us.

I slipped into the bathroom to put on my dress, and for a few minutes, the room was silent—just me, the mirror, and a thousand thoughts swirling in my chest.

Not just about him. About us.

Because when someone’s whole life is about to change, you start to wonder if yours will, too. If there’s room for the girl he held through finals and flu seasons. If he’ll still kiss me the same when he’s on the cover of magazines.

I stared at my reflection, suddenly feeling the weight of it all.

But then I heard his voice through the door.

“Can I come in?”

“Yeah.”

I turned as he stepped inside.

His eyes went wide. He didn’t speak. The silence stretched for a heartbeat, then two.

“You look like something I’d only see in a dream,” he finally said.

“Are you nervous?” I asked.

He stepped closer, taking my hand in his.

“I was,” he said. “But then you walked out, and now all I feel is ready.”

And just like that, I knew: He wasn’t going to forget this night. Not because of the cameras. Not even because of the draft.

But because of this moment right here — just us, standing in a quiet room, hearts in our throats, holding hands before he took his first step into forever.

When we got there, I remember thinking I don’t think I’ve ever seen that many cameras go off at once.

The second they called his name — Cooper’s name — everything blurred. Like when fireworks explode too close to your face, and all you can do is blink against the light, try to remember what your heart sounded like before it started pounding so hard.

Cooper Flagg. First overall pick.

His name echoed across the Barclays Center like thunder, and my chest went warm. My boyfriend, Cooper Flagg, just got drafted first in the NBA. But that wasn’t what hit me first. It was the look on his face.

He turned to me before he even hugged his mom.

Like instinct.

His eyes found mine as if saying we did it without needing to open his mouth. And even though the noise, the lights, the agents, executives, and family members were crowding him, I swore it felt like we were alone for a second. Like it was just us, barefoot on some street somewhere in the middle of July. Like every fear I’d ever had just slipped out the window.

I clapped until my hands stung. I don’t even remember standing up, but I was. I was crying a little, I think. Laughing too. He looked at me with that same sleepy grin he always gives me when I say something dumb, like Do you think they have iced matcha in space?

And then he was gone, pulled into the tide of cameras and suits and reporters.

The boy I fell in love with was now the man the world wanted to know.

[...]

The gala was a blur. Velvet chairs. Crystal glasses. Too many forks. It didn’t matter.

I wore a soft blue gown that dipped in the back — he’d picked it out weeks ago, pointing at the screen and mumbling something like, “That one’s unfair. I’d be staring at you all night.”

He hadn’t lied.

Even across the room, talking to ESPN execs or shaking hands with the commissioner, he kept glancing over at me. I swear he mouthed you’re unreal at least twice.

And when he finally broke away—when he finally made it back to me—he didn’t even say hi.

He just wrapped his arms around me and pulled me in so tight I thought my spine would melt.

His whisper was hot in my ear. “You’re still the only thing that makes sense tonight.”

We stayed like that for a long time, just swaying a little. His chin on my shoulder, my hand pressed against the expensive fabric of his suit jacket, tracing the embroidered initials he never told anyone were mine.

“I can’t breathe in this dress,” I told him once we snuck outside.

“You look like a fever dream,” he replied.

We were standing under a private archway behind the hotel, just past the gala lights. You could still hear the music, but it was muffled by the ivy-covered walls. It smelled like summer — concrete still warm from the sun, perfume, something citrusy in the air. I slipped off my heels and stood barefoot in the grass.

“You gonna take your shoes off too?” I asked.

He shrugged off his jacket instead, loosened his tie. “Baby, I just got drafted. I can do whatever I want.”

I laughed, throwing my head back. “Cocky much?”

“Absolutely.”

He stepped closer, and I could see it in his eyes again — that fire that lit him up whenever he looked at me. That quiet disbelief, like how did I end up with her?

The truth was, I felt the same way.

“I can’t believe it’s real,” I whispered.

“What?” His hand brushed mine.

“You. This. All of it.” I looked up. “It feels like summer forever.”

He didn’t say anything at first. It just pulled me in again, slower this time. Like he didn’t want to wake up either.

His mouth found mine.

And that kiss — God, that kiss — it tasted like every promise we never made out loud.

[...]

Cooper’s hotel suite was bigger than my first apartment. Marble floors. A view of the skyline so sharp it looked fake. Champagne is already chilling in a silver bucket. A team of congratulatory gifts lined up along the table—designer sneakers, watches, gear from his new team, a note from LeBron that I swear made his hands shake for half a second.

But it was quiet. Just us.

And when the door clicked shut behind us, the noise of the night stayed outside.

I stepped out of my heels again — my feet had had enough — and walked straight to the floor-to-ceiling windows. The city looked like it was holding its breath, lights flickering like camera flashes, like they were still watching us from down there. But up here, it felt like the world had finally gone still.

Cooper came up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist, pressing his mouth to the side of my neck.

“I’ve been dreaming about this night since I was ten,” he murmured. “But it didn’t feel real until you looked at me like that.”

“Like what?” I asked, already melting into him.

“Like you were proud. Like I was already enough.”

My chest ached in the best way.

“I am proud,” I whispered. “And you’ve always been enough.”

He turned me around slowly, still holding me like he was afraid I might vanish if he let go. His eyes had that soft, glassy look — like they weren’t done being overwhelmed yet.

“You looked like magic out there,” I told him, brushing a hand through the nape of his neck, feeling the fresh cut on the tip of my fingers. “Like a star pretending to be human.”

He smiled. “You make it sound like I’m not.”

“Maybe you’re not.”

“Then what does that make you?”

“The idiot who fell for you.”

He kissed me before I could finish laughing.

It was slower this time. The kind of kiss you hold onto for the rest of your life. Not rushed. Not hungry. Just… true. I felt his hand slide down my back, tracing the curve of my dress, then flattening over my spine, pulling me in until I could feel his heartbeat.

“I love you so bad,” he whispered against my lips.

My breath caught.

He pulled back just enough to look me in the eyes. “I didn’t want to say it before the draft. I didn't want it to be part of the moment. I needed it to be just between us.”

I blinked.

“I love you so bad,” he repeated, slower this time, like a vow. “I don’t care that we are too young, I don't care if it’s crazy fast. I know what I feel.”

Everything inside me flipped.

All the fears I hadn’t admitted out loud — the ones about what would happen now, about the spotlight, the distance, the headlines, the girls, the schedules — they fell right out the window.

Because at that moment, it didn’t feel scary anymore.

It felt like summer forever.

“I love you too,” I whispered. “So bad.”

He grinned like he’d just won something bigger than the draft.

Then, like he couldn’t help himself, he kissed me again. And again. And again. His hands warm on my skin, his body grounding me, every kiss tasting like champagne and disbelief and something deeper than both.

We didn’t rush anything. We just laid there, side by side, fingers tracing invisible lines across bare arms, eyes locked like we were trying to memorize each other all over again.

“Do you think it’ll change?” I asked, voice barely above a whisper.

“What?”

“This. Us. When the season starts. When everything gets crazy.”

Cooper looked up at the ceiling for a second, then back at me. “Maybe. But not the way you’re afraid of.”

“You don’t know that.”

“No,” he said, reaching for my hand. “But I know you. And I know me. And I know that tonight, I’m holding the one thing that matters more than a jersey, or a paycheck, or any camera flash.”

I swallowed.

“I don’t need a forever promise,” I told him. “I just need tonight to be real.”

“It’s real,” he said. “It’s so real I don’t know how to breathe without you.”

I closed my eyes and leaned in until our foreheads touched. The world kept spinning, but it didn’t matter. All I could feel was the rhythm of his breathing and the way his thumb stroked the inside of my wrist like it was a song only he knew.

My 11:11. That’s what he’d become.

And tonight, I got to keep him a little longer.

Even if the morning meant letting go.

[...]

The first thing I felt when I woke up was warmth.

Not sunlight — that came second, streaming through the hotel windows in soft, gold streaks. But him.

Cooper.

His arm draped heavy around my waist, face buried in the crook of my neck, curls messily crushed into the pillow. His breath was steady, and when I shifted just slightly, he stirred — murmuring something incoherent and pulling me closer like muscle memory.

“Mm. Morning,” he mumbled, voice thick and lazy.

I turned in his arms. “You drooled on my collarbone.”

He cracked an eye open, smirking. “Lucky collarbone.”

I rolled my eyes and kissed the top of his head. “We should get up.”

“Or we could never get up. Live in this bed forever. Let the league come find me.”

“Yeah,” I said, smiling. “Real strong rookie move. First pick refuses to leave bed because girlfriend’s skin is ‘too soft.’”

He didn’t even deny it. Just let out a groggy sigh and nuzzled into me again. “You’re the softest damn person I’ve ever met. Physically. Emotionally. Spiritually. It's dangerous.”

“Are you trying to get me to cry before breakfast?”

“If you do, I’ll wipe your tears with the corner of my draft suit.”

I laughed. “You’re so stupid.”

He looked up then — eyes bright and boyish. “Wanna get out of here?”

My brows lifted. “Like... breakfast?”

“Yeah. Like, a real one. Just you and me. Somewhere with too much butter and terrible coffee.”

I paused. “You’re aware you’re not invisible anymore, right? You can’t just walk around New York like you didn’t go #1 overall twelve hours ago.”

“I’m still me,” he said, sliding out of bed and stretching. “And this morning, ‘me’ wants pancakes.”

We ended up at a café in the West Village. One of those places with chalkboard menus, loud jazz playing from a vintage speaker, and two elderly women debating the ending of The Sopranos at the next table.

It was perfect.

Except for the part where, halfway through his second plate of banana pancakes, a teenage boy in a Knicks jersey stopped mid-step on the sidewalk, jaw fully unhinged.

“Yo—yo, is that Cooper Flagg?”

I saw Cooper freeze for a microsecond. Like it still didn’t register. Like he wasn’t used to being that guy yet.

The kid pressed his face to the glass, whispering urgently to someone on his phone. Thirty seconds later, two more showed up. Then five.

Cooper looked at me.

I gave him a soft nod. “Go. It’s okay.”

He kissed my cheek and stood.

I watched from the window as he stepped outside and the small crowd swelled. They weren’t loud or pushy. Just in awe. Like they couldn’t believe he was really there — hoodie half up, laughing as he signed sneakers, hats, even a dollar bill.

The way he smiled at them… God, it made my chest ache. He was built for this. Not just the game. The being seen. The way people looked at him like he was something electric.

And yet, every few minutes, his eyes would drift back through the window. Back to me.

Like I was his anchor.

When he came back in, cheeks flushed from the chill, I handed him his now-cold pancakes.

“Are they still watching?”

I glanced over his shoulder. “No. They’re posting it to TikTok now.”

He groaned. “I looked like a walking hangover.”

“You looked like someone people believe in.”

He sat back down, reaching for my hand. “You didn’t sign up for this.”

“I didn’t sign up for banana pancakes either but here we are.”

He smiled.

“Coop,” I said gently, “this is your life now.”

He didn’t say anything at first. Just squeezed my fingers in his.

“I just don’t want to lose this in the process,” he admitted. “You. Mornings like this. The parts where I still feel human.”

I leaned forward, brushing my thumb against his knuckles. “Then don’t let go.”

He looked at me for a long time. The world outside moved, blurred, shifted.

But he didn’t blink.