#kaitlyn be quiet

[bueckersfudd]

I've been following Kait since Princeton which is why I have a lot to say but I truly feel that Geno's schemes have stifled her this season. She was the offensive star of a defensive team, hit crazy midrange shots all the time and drew fouls like nobody's business. She was not nearly as hesitant back then - like obviously how else would she have won tournament MVP three years in a row. And her assist numbers were pretty high too. So add on an above-average three point shot and she should be a great offensive threat, right?

It feels like they're not playing to her strengths. Like anon said, making her dump off the ball and then disappear from the play. She's not the best scorer on the team anymore, sure, but it feels like he expects her to play like Nika when that isn't her and their strengths are different.

ooh u cooked and i just left u to waste away in my inbox all week i apologize anon

i love hearing the perspective of someone who knew her game before the transfer bc it really just shows how stifled she's been at uconn. hot take but i don't think geno knows how to coach an offensive-minded, high scoring pg and that even paige was just an outlier who he eventually pushed out of that role bc he doesn't know what to do with that kind of player.

[bu3ck3r]

unconditional love

paige bueckers x azzi fudd

summary: pazzi at wnba draft

a/n: i’m so insanely proud of paige it’s been amazing watching her grow and now seeing her get everything she’s worked so hard for. also feeling incredibly proud of kaitlyn and aubrey just such a big moment for all of them🥹

the hum of new york city sat low and steady outside the window, a constant rhythm against the silence in the hotel room. it was late, maybe 1 a.m. , but paige didn’t care. time felt like it had slowed, suspended between what she’d spent years working for and whatever tomorrow would bring.

azzi lay curled into her, her cheek pressed against paige’s chest, fingers trailing soft circles on her stomach. the tv was on mute, glowing with some random late-night sitcom, but neither of them was watching.

“you’re quiet,” azzi whispered, her voice sleepy but alert.

paige blinked slowly, her hand brushing along azzi’s back, settling just above the hem of her shirt. “i’m just… thinking.”

“mhm.” azzi tilted her head up to look at her. “about tomorrow?”

“yeah. and you.”

azzi smiled. “me? what about me?”

paige leaned down and kissed her temple, her lips lingering. “that i wouldn’t even be here without you.”

azzi scoffed gently. “paige, come on.”

“no, i’m serious.” paige shifted so she could really look at her. her eyes were soft, a little glassy. “every time i felt like i wasn’t gonna make it back, you were there. telling me i would. believing it. even when i didn’t.”

azzi reached up and cupped paige’s face, brushing her thumb along her cheekbone. “that’s because i do believe in you. i always have.”

they held eye contact for a long time. paige didn’t move. azzi didn’t look away.

then paige whispered, “are you proud of me?”

azzi gave her the look. that kind of look where every ounce of love she carried was written across her face.

“baby, i am very proud of you,” she said. “you’re gonna be the number one pick tomorrow. you came all the way back from an injury, from everything… and you’re still you. even better, somehow. you deserve all of this.”

paige’s lips parted slightly. she looked down, trying to blink back the sting of tears. she hated crying before bed, it always made her stuffy in the morning, but she didn’t stop azzi when she moved in closer.

they kissed then—slow, warm, unhurried.

paige sighed into her, pulling her tighter.

“i love you,” she murmured between kisses.

azzi smiled against her lips. “i love you more.”

paige whispered. “not possible.”

they kissed again, this time deeper. azzi’s hand slid up under paige’s oversized hoodie, palm splayed flat against her bare skin. paige groaned softly.

“i don’t wanna sleep,” she whispered, resting her forehead against azzi’s. “i don’t want it to be tomorrow yet.”

“i know,” azzi said gently. “but it’s a good tomorrow.”

paige kissed her again, messily this time, like she couldn’t stand the idea of not getting to do it all the time. azzi laughed into her mouth.

“you’re gonna look so incredible tomorrow i’ll be thinking about you more than the draft”

azzi kissed her nose. “you’re gonna get on that stage tomorrow and you’re gonna smile like you do when you’re trying not to cry. and you’re gonna look so damn good i’ll probably faint.”

“you’re gonna look better.”

azzi grinned. “doubt it.”

paige said firmly. “i won’t survive it. i’ll see you before the carpet and black out.”

azzi bit her bottom lip. “i mean i did get a tighter dress so…”

paige dropped back against the pillows dramatically. “you’re evil.”

azzi laughed and settled back on her. “i want you to remember this. tomorrow. when everyone’s looking at you. when the lights are bright and you’re nervous. you belong there. you earned it.”

paige was quiet for a second.

“promise me something?” she said softly.

“anything.”

“promise me i’ll still be yours when everything changes.”

azzi didn’t answer right away. she kissed paige’s lips, then her jaw, then her collarbone. she kissed every inch she could reach. then she looked back up at her.

“you’ll always be mine,” she said. “and i’ll always be yours.”

they held each other for a long time after that.

and even though paige didn’t sleep much that night—her heart pounding with nerves and excitement and love—she didn’t feel alone. not even a little.

─────────── ౨ৎ ──────────

paige was awake before the sun.

it was one of those mornings where the light didn’t come through the curtains so much as it glowed around them—soft and slow, like it knew something big was about to happen. she lay on her side, eyes half open, watching the way azzi’s hair spilled across the pillow, how her lips parted slightly when she was deep in sleep.

she looked so peaceful. so unfairly beautiful.

paige stared.

she always stared.

sometimes she still couldn’t believe this was real—that this girl, this best friend turned more, was her girlfriend.

paige smiled to herself and let her hand rest gently on azzi’s waist. she didn’t want to wake her. not yet. she just wanted to look.

god, i’m so in love with her.

azzi stirred a little, brow furrowing. paige leaned in and kissed her cheek softly.

“you’re staring,” azzi mumbled, barely awake.

“how could i not?”

azzi cracked one eye open. “creepy.”

paige grinned. “beautiful.”

azzi smiled without opening her eyes. “flatter me more. i’m not getting up yet.”

“you have to,” paige said, kissing her shoulder.

“ugh. fine.” azzi rolled over, arms wrapping around paige’s waist. “but only if you kiss me awake properly.”

so paige did. slowly. sweetly. like it was the first time.

“mmm,” azzi mumbled. “what time is it?”

“too early,” paige whispered, pressing another kiss to her temple. “but i didn’t wanna waste a second not looking at you.”

azzi cracked one eye open and smiled sleepily. “you’re so corny.”

“only for you.”

“you nervous?”

paige nodded slightly. “yeah. but also… kinda calm. like, i know today’s gonna be wild, but i’m okay because i have you.”

azzi’s fingers slid under paige’s shirt, tracing her hip. “you have me. always.”

they kissed, slow and soft, until paige rolled half on top of her, the weight of the moment settling over them both. azzi’s arms wrapped around her shoulders, grounding her.

���i wish we could stay in bed all day,” paige whispered into her neck.

azzi smiled. “we’ll make up for it later.”

they stayed like that for a little longer. but soon the alarms got louder, the texts started rolling in, and the quiet morning turned into movement.

─────────── ౨ৎ ──────────

it was 10 a.m., paige was wearing a gray wnba hoodie with the 2025 wnba draft logo on the front, surrounded by her fellow draft invitees, riding up an elevator in the empire state building.

she leaned against the glass, looking out over the city, heart pounding.

“that would hurt.” she said to herself.

the media team had them posing for pictures—goofing off, smiling in sync, laughing like they weren’t all on the edge of a life-changing moment.

paige was good at pretending she wasn’t anxious.

she cracked jokes with shy and georgia, helped fix kiki’s hair before one of the shots, and posed with her hands in her pockets like it was no big deal. but every few minutes, her mind drifted.

i wonder what azzi’s wearing right now.

i wonder if she’s thinking about me.

her phone buzzed while she was mid-laugh. she checked it in the middle of the crowd and nearly melted.

azzi: bts from the photo-shoot just for you.

azzi sent 1 attachment: azzi in glam chair, lips glossed, smiling.

paige full-on blushed.

paige: you’re gonna kill me before the carpet.

paige: thinking about you.

azzi: oh you miss me already, baby?

paige: obviously.

paige: but don’t act like you’re not counting the seconds either, princess.

azzi: okay maybe a little

azzi: but i’m still the baddest

paige: yes ma’am

she grinned at her phone, sighing as she tucked it away.

by 5 p.m., they were back at the hotel. azzi was in a different suite, getting ready separately. paige sat in a chair, letting her makeup artist finish the final touches. her sparkling coach suit—bedazzled, sharp, and perfect—was already on. her hands were slightly shaky.

she texted azzi.

paige: you almost ready?

azzi: 10 mins

paige: i’m gonna lose my mind.

azzi: not yet baby. wait till later p.

paige: you’re killing me azzi.

─────────── ౨ৎ ──────────

when paige finally walked into the suite where azzi was finishing her makeup, her brain short-circuited.

azzi turned to her in that black dress, long and sleek, with subtle shimmer. hair wavy, soft glam done. her skin glowed.

paige literally stopped in the doorway.

“holy—” she blinked. “you look…”

azzi smiled knowingly. “speechless?”

paige crossed the room slowly. “i’m trying to be respectful, but you’re making it very hard.”

azzi placed a hand on her chest. “don’t touch too much.”

“but i need to touch you.”

“you can touch me later.”

paige let her hands rest low on azzi’s waist, pulling her just close enough to breathe her in. “you promise?”

azzi leaned in and kissed her—soft but with intent. “yes. after the chaos. we’ll have our own moment.”

paige grinned. “you just gave me something to live for.”

they kissed again, this time longer, but azzi pulled back with a teasing smirk.

“no more. you’re gonna smudge everything.”

“ugh. okay.” paige pouted dramatically.

azzi ran her thumb along paige’s jaw. “you’ll survive.”

paige rested her forehead against hers. “barely.”

azzi cupped her cheeks, eyes serious now. “before we walk out there, i want you to know something.”

paige blinked, suddenly locked in.

“i am so proud of you,” azzi said. “like, beyond what words can even say. i look up to you, not just as a player, but as a person. the way you love me, the way you carry yourself, the way you fought to get here. it’s inspiring. you’re inspiring.”

paige’s throat tightened instantly.

“azzi—”

“ah—don’t cry,” azzi warned, gently brushing under her eye.

paige laughed through the tears building up.

“you’re gonna be the first pick, and i’ll be the proudest when it happens. because i know you, paige. and i’ll always be your number one fan.”

paige couldn’t speak at first. she just pulled azzi in, held her tight, and whispered against her ear, “you’re everything to me.”

azzi held her back just as tightly.

they didn’t need much else.

because in that moment, even with the world waiting outside those doors, they were right there—with each other.

─────────── ౨ৎ ──────────

the car ride to the venue felt surreal.

paige sat next to hailey van lith and sonia citron, the energy in the bus bouncing somewhere between adrenaline and straight-up chaos. everyone was buzzing—lip gloss retouches, checking phones, practicing smiles, hyping each other up.

paige was in her own little world, though.

she kept one hand on her phone, just in case azzi texted. she’d already seen the final look earlier—azzi in that midnight black dress, glowing, but she was still imagining it, counting down the minutes until she saw her again in motion, under the lights, walking toward her like a dream.

the bus pulled up.

the orange carpet was longer than paige expected, the lights and cameras made it feel endless. she stepped off the bus and took a deep breath.

this was it.

“paige bueckers, please!” a photographer called out. “right here, smile!”

she turned, smiled, posed. she’d done this before.

the coach suit shimmered under the lights—soft silver, tailored sharp, catching every flash. her hair was sleek, pulled behind one ear.

she looked confident.

but the truth was—she was scanning the crowd for one face.

where is she?

then—finally—someone from the media team near the edge of the carpet turned and said something to the people behind the barricade.

paige heard that laugh she knew like her own heartbeat.

azzi had arrived.

and paige? completely forgot how to breathe.

azzi stepped onto the carpet slowly, careful with every stride. her dress was even more stunning now, hugging her curves, glowing under the lights like it was made for her alone. her smile was calm but radiant. her eyes scanned the scene.

and when they landed on paige?

they softened instantly.

paige didn’t even think—she walked toward her, a little too fast, like something magnetic was pulling her across the carpet.

azzi met her halfway.

“you clean up nice,” she teased, eyes flicking over paige’s suit.

paige bit her lip. “you look—” she exhaled, “—like a problem.”

azzi laughed, low and warm. “oh yeah?”

paige leaned in, just slightly. “i’m gonna be distracted the whole night.”

“good,” azzi whispered. “then my plan worked.”

a camera flash went off near them, and they stepped back slightly, catching themselves before they got too lost in each other.

“let’s get a couple shots,” someone suggested, pointing them toward the center of the carpet.

they giggled between photos. touched fingers behind their backs. posed like professionals, but always leaned a little too close. paige trying so hard not to stare at azzi the whole time.

in one shot, paige glanced sideways at her with the most obvious “i’m in love with this woman” look the world had ever seen.

“i saw that,” azzi whispered.

“saw what?”

“that look.”

paige blushed. “you caught me.”

azzi nudged her gently. “get your head in the game.”

paige leaned down a little closer. “too late. you are the game.”

azzi turned her head slightly, eyes sparkling. “you’re lucky i like you.”

“you’re lucky i’m obsessed with you.”

they giggled quietly, then stood a little straighter as more photos were taken.

no one said anything out loud, but anyone with eyes could see it—they were each other’s safe place in the chaos.

inside the venue, things moved fast.

paige found her table toward the front—prime spot for a top pick. azzi sat beside her, with a big smile on her face.

cameras swung by occasionally, but paige didn’t care. not when azzi leaned in every few minutes to whisper something into her ear.

“you’re the best looking one in the room,” azzi said once, smiling behind her champagne flute.

paige bumped their shoulders together. “that’s cap cause you walked in.”

azzi shrugged and shook her head and looked at paige with those soft, steady eyes. “no but seriously, i meant what i said earlier. i look up to you, paige. i always have. you’ve gone through more than anyone even knows, and you still show up with heart and grace. that’s why you’re about to be the first pick. not just because of your game. because of what kind of a person you are.”

paige blinked rapidly. her throat tightened again.

azzi smiled knowingly. “no tears. not yet.”

“i don’t deserve you,” paige whispered.

“too late. you already got me.”

─────────── ౨ৎ ──────────

and then it happened.

“with the first pick in the 2025 wnba draft…the dallas wings select…”

paige bueckers.

paige barely heard the rest. her name rang out like a bell through the crowd, like a song she’d been waiting to hear since she was five years old.

everything froze.

and then—cheers.

loud, proud, overwhelming.

she stood slowly, eyes already glossy while she wrapped her arms around azzi and held her close for a second.

“i love you,” azzi whispered, voice thick.

then she walked to the stage.

barely registering the hug from the league commissioner as her name lit up on the screens.

but what she did register? the look on azzi’s face.

azzi watched from their table, smiling so wide it hurt almost shedding a tear. her heart swelled as paige held up the jersey. grinned into the cameras.

her girl. the number one pick.

tears brimmed in her eyes now, though she blinked them away quickly. her smile was huge, beaming, and filled with every kind of pride.

─────────── ౨ৎ ──────────

the after party was glowing.

the lights were dimmed, colored spotlights dancing across walls and polished floors. the music pulsed low and warm through the air—some kind of r&b remix that blurred in paige’s ears as she stepped into the room.

she’d just finished a whirlwind round of interviews—camera after camera, mic after mic, all asking the same thing: what does it mean to be the number one pick?

she’d said the right things. she’d smiled, even when her feet hurt and her head spun.

but now?

now, all she wanted was azzi.

and then—there she was.

leaning against the bar in a sparkly short black dress, now with a drink in hand and a faint pink tint to her cheeks. she was laughing at something kk had just said, head thrown back slightly, lips parted.

paige’s chest tightened.

she didn’t even realize she was moving until she was halfway across the room.

azzi saw her coming and smiled—something private, soft, just for her.

“there she is,” azzi said, standing up straight, voice a little slurred at the edges. “my number one.”

paige didn’t answer.

she just stepped in close and wrapped her arms around azzi’s waist, burying her face against her neck.

azzi giggled, startled but not at all mad. “missed me that bad, huh?”

paige just held her tighter.

they stood like that for a minute, not caring who was around. everyone was celebrating. everyone was tipsy. and if a few people stared? so what?

this was their moment.

azzi pulled back enough to look at her. “hey,” she said softly, brushing a hand along paige’s jaw. “you did it.”

paige looked at her, eyes tired but glowing. “i don’t want this night to end.”

azzi’s smile faltered slightly. “me neither.”

there was a beat between them, the kind where time feels thick.

and then someone turned the music up.

azzi tugged paige toward the floor. “come on. you deserve to celebrate.”

they took a few shots and started dancing.

it started slow—hands on hips, small sways, letting the beat move through them. but soon it picked up. azzi spun herself under paige’s arm, laughing, then grabbed paige’s hands and pulled her close again.

they moved like no one else was there.

paige leaned down, lips brushing azzi’s ear. “you’re dangerous when you dance like that.”

azzi looked up at her, teasing. “oh, now i’m the problem?”

“yes. you. always.”

azzi smirked, leaned in, kissed the corner of paige’s mouth. “then maybe you should take me somewhere quiet.”

paige froze for half a second. “az.”

azzi grinned, biting her lip. “not yet. i just like watching you lose your cool.”

“you’re evil.”

“you love it.”

they laughed again, but underneath it all, the weight of time was creeping in. the clock was ticking. and they both felt it.

an hour passed.

then another.

more drinks. more dancing. more whispered things in the dark.

they ended up tucked into a quiet booth in the corner, paige’s arm draped around azzi’s shoulder, azzi’s legs crossed over paige’s lap. the room around them spun a little, all blurred lights and laughter.

─────────── ౨ৎ ──────────

back in their hotel room, azzi leaned against the wall, shoes already gone, dress sliding slightly down one shoulder. “you coming or what?”

paige was on her in seconds.

they kissed hard, desperate, hands everywhere.

“god,” paige breathed, lips brushing azzi’s jaw. “you know what you do to me?”

azzi smiled lazily. “you act like you’re the only one losing it.”

paige laughed—low, rough, against azzi’s throat. “are you?”

azzi nodded. “every time i look at you.”

paige groaned softly, lifting azzi onto the edge of the bed with ease, her shirt falling to the floor behind her. she stepped between azzi’s legs, hands on her thighs, sliding up slowly.

“you remember earlier?” azzi asked, voice teasing.

paige kissed the space just below her ear. “when?”

“when you were begging for one more kiss before the carpet?”

paige smiled. “i remember being desperate. yeah.”

azzi leaned back, pulling paige toward her. “good. you can make up for it now.”

their mouths crashed together—less careful, more urgent. paige pushed the dress higher up azzi’s legs, fingers teasing the edge of lace. azzi’s hand found the back of paige’s neck, guiding her deeper, closer, hungrier.

paige pulled back for a second, breathless. “should i stop?”

azzi shook her head instantly. “don’t you dare.”

paige chuckled, voice thick. “was hoping you’d say that.”

she kissed her again—long and slow, hands wandering, tugging azzi closer until her dress was bunched around her hips. azzi’s hands moved beneath paige’s shirt, fingertips tracing the warm lines of her back.

they undressed in pieces—slow, half-drunk, half-obsessed. every time paige peeled another layer away, she paused. looked. let herself admire.

“you’re so beautiful,” she whispered. “like, it’s stupid how beautiful you are.”

azzi kissed her collarbone. “you’re not so bad yourself, superstar.”

they made love like it was the last time—tangled up in whispered names, soft moans, skin on skin and hearts pounding in sync. there was urgency in it, yes—but more than that, there was intention.

every kiss said: i need you.

every touch said: i want this moment to last.

and every time paige slowed down—kissed her slower, softer, deeper—azzi arched into her, chasing that closeness like oxygen.

afterward, paige lay on her side, body wrapped around azzi’s, their legs tangled, hands resting on bare skin. the sheets were kicked to the foot of the bed, city lights casting soft shadows over their bodies.

azzi reached up and traced paige’s cheekbone with her thumb. “you okay?”

paige didn’t answer right away. she kissed azzi’s wrist instead. “better than okay.”

azzi smiled faintly. “that was…”

“perfect.”

they lay like that for a long time, not saying much, just breathing each other in.

eventually, azzi whispered, “do you think it’ll be different?”

paige opened her eyes. “what?”

“when you’re on the road. when i’m back at storrs. when we’re not… like this.”

paige was quiet, then pulled azzi even closer. “i think we’ll miss each other like hell.”

azzi exhaled. “yeah.”

“but i also think—” paige paused, kissed her shoulder. “we’re gonna make it work. because we always do.”

they fell asleep tangled together, warm and safe in each other’s arms.

and even though they both knew change was right around the corner, for that one night, they let themselves believe nothing would ever pull them apart.

but later, wrapped up in each other under the sheets, breath soft and slow, paige lay with her head on azzi’s chest and just listened.

the silence between them wasn’t empty.

it was full—of love, of fear, of the quiet ache of change.

“i don’t want to do any of this without you,” paige said quietly.

azzi kissed her forehead. “i’m always with you.”

“but soon… you’ll be in storrs. i’ll be in training camp—”

azzi cut her off, hand cupping her cheek. “and still, you’ll be my girl.”

paige’s throat tightened. “promise?”

azzi nodded. “i promise.”

they kissed again. and again. and again.

like they were trying to memorize it all.

[bueckersbitch]

all the nights spent off our faces, trying to find these perfect places…

perfect places - paige bueckers x reader

ೀ warnings : sexual content, alcohol

ೀ authors note : NUMBER ☝🏽✌🏽 BABYYYYY. i’ll forever be grateful for everything i’ve learned this season, from paige, from the team, and from all my friends i met on here. i love u all. we brought that natty back to storrs.

ೀ taglist : @sierrale8ne @thaatdigitaldiary @pboogerswbb @lupinqs @xxloveralways14 @bueckersfive @vamptizm @lovegalor333 @mrsarnold @janaelalfysblunt

You watched from behind the metal barricade, awaiting the team to step off the bus and into the arena. The Tampa sun felt nice accompanied by the slight breeze. You picked at your fingers anxiously. This was it. One. More. Game. 40 minutes for your girlfriend and the rest of the team to leave it all out on the court. One more game for Paige to solidify her reputation as one of the Uconn greats.

The bus doors opened, and the cheers from the fans in blue picked up as the players started to walk out. Jana, Kaitlyn, and Azzi, then came Paige. Adjusting her ponytail, a poker face adorned her features, you knew the loss to Iowa last year was all the fuel needed for her and the team to bring it home this year. She was locked in, deleting all her social media, staying present, working her body just the right amount, seeing a sports psychiatrist to get her into the right headspace. Nobody wanted this title more than her. You knew her want for the title was more than the entirety of South Carolina’s team alone. 

Paige spots you in the crowd, her soul pushing her eyes to find you in every crowd. Her poker face broke a little, her eyes glazing over slightly, bringing her hand up, her thumb, pointer, and pinky finger all going up, signing ‘I love you’.

Signing the same, you watched her walk away. You speed to the mass of people waiting in front of the stairs to get into the arena. Slowly, but surely, you made your way to the security checkpoint of the arena. Spotting Azzi’s family at the bar, you greeted them with hugs, taking a shot to ease your anxiety.

-

The first quarter had ended, Uconn leading 19-14, the Huskies were on fire, playing for themselves, but also playing for the girl they would say goodbye to after this season. You were courtside, watching Geno talking to the girls in between the first and second quarter, the game was still salvageable for the Gamecocks, the arena was scattered with fans from both teams, but the South Carolina fans were anything but quiet, chants of “Go Gamecocks” overbearing the UConn chants at times. Morgan’s eyes peeled away from Geno for a second amidst the South Carolina chant, looking around the arena in awe, snapping back to Geno before you could process the expression on her face.

-

36-26. The score when halftime began. Up 10 points, the girls made everyone aware of their drive, Azzi was playing beautiful basketball, something UConn and South Carolina fans alike could appreciate. Her comeback was nothing short of amazing. 

-

The third quarter came and went, 56-42, the drunk man behind you slurring out a, “It’s over, UConn put belt to ass, they’re not coming back from that.” You exhaled, your thoughts were the same, although it felt nice to hear that others felt likewise. One. More. Quarter. One more quarter of Paige being a UConn Husky. One more quarter to put the cherry on top of her generational collegiate career.

-

Paige checked out. For the last time. Striding confidently over to Geno, embracing him and just melting into him. Tears violently left her eyes, soaking Geno’s shoulder with both gratitude and sadness, Geno’s eyes were squeezed shut, never one to want to show emotion, trying to suppress his feelings about a girl he looked at like his daughter accomplishing her dreams. Your mind flew back to Paige’s slam interview, her naive self rambling about wanting to win a national championship during her time at UConn, then wanting to be drafted number one, unaware of the difficulties, mentally, and physically, that she would have to overcome to achieve her goals. She made it. Losing to South Carolina in 2022 was a beautiful sign from God, whether she knew that at the time or not. The obstacles and adversity she had faced were necessary and needed, for her to come back, better, stronger, more faithful. It all came full circle as she pulled Jana in, now beating South Carolina during her last year. The realization made you sob, overwhelmed with pride for your girl. The most resilient person you knew.

-

The final buzzer sounds. 82-59. She did it. Your girlfriend was a national champion. All the nights when she rewatched film with you, picking apart her every play, crying to you about why they just couldn’t seem to win, the echoes of her sobs in your apartment when she told you she felt like she was letting the Uconn name down, trying to find her perfect season. Those days were over. You rushed over to her, pulling her in, locking your arms over her shoulders, her own hugging your waist to ground herself. You heard her choked sobs into your shoulder, your tears flooded her new national championship shirt, the already dark blue becoming a near black.

Through her tears, her broken voice uttered a soft, “It’s really over.” You brought your hand up to her head, stroking her hair and tugging her deeper into your shoulder. “You did it, baby, you’re unreal.” 

-

Paige held your hand, trophy in the other as you arrived at the hotel, the automatic doors opening to the room of alumni, the other girls, and families. Clapping emerged from everyone as Paige walked through, you dropped her hand and joined them, applauding her. Blush crept up onto her face at the sight of you, the apples of her cheeks more apparent now. She raises the trophy, yelling out, “NATTY CHAMPS BABYYY” The cheering continued, Diana, hollering out a “WHOOP WHOOP” at her mini-me. Paige sets the trophy down on the table in between the couches, reaching for your finger, she yanks you into her. She kisses your nose, using one hand to grab the net from around her neck, lifting it off of her and gently placing it around your neck, pulling your hair free in the process. 

Her eyes start to well again, her emotions hitting her like a truck, she swallows hard, trying to not let the creeping feeling of leaving her second home catch up to her. She fails, and a few stray tears escape her eyes, so you cup her face to wipe them away, knowing the reason for her sadness. “Hey, stay in the moment, remember?” You whisper the mantra she had been repeating the whole season softly, trying not to bring attention to the situation. She nods, you flick her hat up playfully before dragging her to sit on one of the couches.

-

The Tampa humidity had calmed down, everyone was on the rooftop now, you and Paige sharing a dirty shirley by the glass barrier, looking out into the city. You rest your head on her shoulder, the city is quiet, yet lively, with giggles from college kids on the street, and the soft thrum of car engines. “Everything I ever worked for these past five years, it all paid off.” Paige sighs, obviously more than content with the outcome of the game. “I don’t think words could describe how proud I am of you baby, natty or not, you made your mark on UConn.” You say, trying your best to express the admiration you’ve held for her these last five years.

“Pretty cute! Don’t you guys think?” Kayla slides in next to you with. You and Paige look down at her camera, a cute candid of you guys overlooking the city on the screen. “It’s perfect” You smile, hugging her, Paige doing the same. “I’ll leave you guys to it then, have fun tonight.” She winks, Paige scoffing at what she was not so subtly insinuating.

Paige wraps her arms around you from behind, kissing your cheek repeatedly, you giggle at her, knowing how she gets when there’s some alcohol in her system. You feel her breath on your ear, “Y’tryna celebrate wit me baby?” You cross your legs at her words, falling back slightly into her.

You feel her smile on your neck, she utters the last words spoken between you two on the rooftop, “Let's go then.”

-

Paige fumbled with her sweatpants pocket, pulling out the keycard, unlocking the door, and swinging it open. She pulls you into the room by the net around your neck. Eventually sitting on the edge of the bed with you in front of her, gripping the back of your thighs, looking up at you. Her tongue darts out to wet her lips, you tug her ponytail a little so she looks up at you.

“I want everything off.” Short and direct, you oblige. You peel everything off slowly, trying to drag the moment beyond her patience. Paige whines out in protest, and you decide not to tease her too much, your outfit pooling on the floor.

You kept the net around your neck though, assuming Paige would take a liking to it. It seemed like she did, because she pulls you onto her lap, her hand grips the side of your neck to pull you into a kiss. 

Her tongue prods at your lips, you open your mouth slightly to let her in deeper. But tonight was about her, she deserved to be rewarded, not just for this game, but for the last five years. You shove her back, she hits the bed with a gasp. “Want tonight to be special, let me get you right first.” You say. Paige nods, not trusting her words with your newfound dominance.

Paige scoots herself up the bed, you spread her legs while she takes off her hoodie and sports bra, eager for you to speed things up.

You strip her legs of her sweatpants, her recent love for sagging her sweatpants didn’t go unnoticed. You were met with the dark patch on her boxers, slightly glossy, the material flimsy where the spot was.

You take your place back on her lap, kissing her sternum, sucking slightly on the swell of her breast, soft hums come from the blonde. You suck her nipple into your mouth, swirling your tongue around it, your fingers playing with the other one. Paige started to get a little louder, shifting her hips beneath you in hopes of soothing the ache between her legs. You switched your mouth over to her other nipple, wanting to give them the same amount of attention. Once you were satisfied, you slowly kissed your way down her body, swinging your leg off of her, you settled in the middle of her thighs, working your fingers into the waistband of her boxers, you peel them off of her. Her clit sticks out, throbbing uncomfortably, her wetness already coating her inner thighs.

“Please baby, y’gotta help me” she whines out, bucking her hips in search of your mouth. You cut the teasing act short, persuaded too easily by the need in her voice. Sucking her clit into your mouth, your fingers swipe through her folds, swiping the slick on her clit, you suckle it off of her, kissing it after. You circle her entrance, entering just until the first knuckle, then pulling out. Paige groans, her rough hand pulling you into her, you spread her folds as your tongue encases her clit yet again, the other hand coming up to finally push into her, the blonde whining when you find her spot. You drag your eyes up to look at her, her head is thrown back, and the hat that was mounted to her head all night is now almost fully off, the only thing keeping it from falling is her ponytail which was pulled through the back.

Her back arched shortly after, her moans becoming more frequent now, her head thrashing from side to side. You sighed into her, pushing yourself deeper into her.

“Fuck baby, mouth s’good, I'm not gonna last long.” You hummed at that, sucking her clit harder, massaging her spot in hopes of getting her there.

Shortly after, she cums, loud groans with scattered cuss words in between. Her wetness gushed from her, you lapped it up, resting your head on her thigh.

“Oh baby, you’re in for it tonight.”

-

“Oh, fuck, Paige!” You whined a little too loud. It was now two orgasms later, Paige had your face and chest shoved into the sheets with your ass up. She insisted on eating it from the back, her hat now sat on her head backward. Her large hands spread you open for her. You pushed back onto her tongue, the warmth of her hands making you feel hotter than you already were. She was messy, drunk off of the taste of you. She spit onto your pussy, firmly licking up the expanse of it, following it up by working her tongue into you. The muscle licking your slick clean like she was starving for you, “So wet f’me, best night I coulda asked for.” Then she was back on you like glue, the vibrations of her moans had you gripping the sheets, she was eating you like she wanted to suck you dry.

You cum, hard onto her tongue, Paige cleans it all up with her tongue. You feel yourself dozing off, the activities of the day finally catching up to you.

-

You wake up to the sound of the hotel shower, rubbing your eyes, you lift your phone up, checking your notifications, you see a new post from Paige.

The candid Kayla had taken of you guys. Paired with a caption of; 

got the natty and the girl, a perfect place to be in.

[ohihopeicanchangethislater]

I don't know if it has a specific title, but the near-silent horror like A Quiet Place is one of my favorite styles.

And I will never be able to say enough good things about No One Will Save you. It's got maybe two lines of discernable dialogue. Otherwise, Kaitlyn Dever's face tells the story.

Pure art.

silent horror is so under appreciated. I know it’s because there rarely is any silent horror movies anymore (scratch that like never). but do you know how much talent (not saying actors&actresses don’t now) it takes to tell a story through only your facial expressions. that’s why their makeup is the way it is because they’re bringing attention to their faces. it’s also why they’re over exaggerating their expressions because it needs to be over the top.

silent horror also has some of the most frightening practical effects and scenes. nosferatu in general is fucking terrifying. the makeup on him is impeccable. not to mention they were actually working on a budget, silent horror is indie horror at its finest. I mean actors did their own makeup, and were good at it (lon chaney & lon chaney jr both).

[raevpng]

You could do a cute little one shot of Paige and Azzi out with the team and Azzi makes her flustered and the team teases her for still getting nervous even after all this time

down bad for you

paige bueckers x azzi fudd

masterlist

a/n: hey everyone, surprise fic drop! life’s been hectic so it’s taking a while to write through all the requests but i’ll get through them ! thank you so much anon for this prompt, i think it’s so so cute! i’m not sure if this is well written but i tried 🥲

summary: paige being whipped for azzi and getting bullied for it / azzi showing off her rare side of possessiveness and boldness <3

—

the warmth of the late afternoon sun enveloped everything around them — from the soft orange glow that cast shadows across azzi’s dimpled smile to the gentle warmth that kissed paige’s skin. it was one of the last days left where their whole team for the season would be complete, the upcoming goodbye’s to their teammates who would soon depart to their new teams looming over the group. the whole team was gathered on the patio of their favorite restaurant, trying to spend every second available together before their beloved seniors would part ways for god knows how long.

kk dramatically wailed as she collapsed into aubrey’s lap, “i can’t believe you’re all abandoning me. family, they said, family!”

aubrey, trying to stifle a laugh at kk’s over-the-top dramatics, glanced down at her with a fond smile tugging at her lips. across from them, ice sat with her arms crossed, rolling her eyes with affectionate exasperation, the kind that only came from deep, unwavering love. nearby, kaitlyn and morgan were lost in their own animated conversation, their laughter rising above the hum of the afternoon air. the rest of the team’s voices layered over one another—teasing, shouting, laughing, filling the patio with a warm, familiar chaos. the sheer volume of their joy drew definitely more than a few judging glances and disapproving stares from nearby tables, but no one at their table seemed to notice, much less care. there was something deeply comforting in the noise, the shared jokes, the closeness, the kind of joy that only existed in between family, knowing it would all quiet soon when their seniors left, and the rhythm of the team shifted into something new and unfamiliar.

amidst the chaos of her best friends, azzi sat beside paige practically cuddled up to her, hands intertwined in a quiet display of affection, paige scooting impossibly closer to her girlfriend, trying to make their distance as close as socially acceptable. azzi, her soft curls casually braided, was animatedly telling a story while paige sat, starry-eyed, captivated by every word.

after being together for so long, one would expect paige and azzi to be somewhat out the honeymoon stage. sure, their teenage selves were stuck to the hip, eyes always glossy and full of love when they meet. sure, azzi’s freshman year was filled with memories of paige being so impossibly soft with her from the way her voice softens when speaking to her or the lightness of her teasing shoves and jabs compared to loud and rough wrestles with other team mates. but after all this time, they’d be used to each other, compliments fizzing out, stares shortening to glances, right?

no, not with them.

paige couldn’t help it—not when azzi was this close, with the soft golden glow of the sun highlight the flecks of gold in her warm eyes, or when the gentle shadows on her face accentuated the dimples in her soft cheeks. and her lips – god, those soft lips that paige went crazy for, azzi would absent-mindedly bite when she was waiting for paige’s distracted hums and oohs.

“baby,” azzi’s soft voice, crafted just for paige, broke through her lovesick daydreams. her teasing smile tugged at the corners of her lips, a glint of mischief in her eyes. “are you even listening to me?”

paige felt a rush of heat spread across her face at the realisation that she had been caught, the familiar pink dusting her cheeks. azzi rolled her eyes playfully before pressing a light yet affectionate kiss to paige’s lips. paige blushed even harder, her heart racing at the simple yet intimate gesture. “can’t help it, you look so pretty right now, baby,” paige admitted softly, her voice full of sincerity. azzi’s heart fluttered at the honesty of her girlfriend’s words.

the small bubble of giddiness they shared was broken when caroline directed the conversation to azzi, her voice full of excitement. “at least one of them isn’t deciding to abandon us! that’s why azzi’s my favorite,” she purred, coaxing a light laugh from the curly-haired brunette.

“i don’t know why you’re all acting like paige is leaving though,” sarah chimed in with a smirk. “her girl is still here in storrs with us, meaning she’ll be here all the damn time.” sarah raised an eyebrow, teasing. “watch us probably have to drag her ass to dallas by force.”

the freshman’s statement, teasing but true, earned a loud laugh from the rest of the team, while paige stuck her tongue out playfully, not bothering to hide the grin on her face. she opened her mouth to somewhat defend her shrinking dignity when azzi beats her to it.

“and what about it?” azzi’s tone was teasing, yet there was a possessive edge to it that made everyone stop and look. she untangles their interlaced hands briefly to possessively run her manicured fingers from the blonde’s neck to her chest slowly, taking pleasure in the way her girlfriend’s breath hitched at her unexpected actions. she raised an eyebrow at her teammates who’s mouths slack with surprise, her voice dripping with confidence. “not my fault my girl’s obsessed with me.”

the words had an immediate effect. the table went quiet for a beat as the rest of the team took in azzi’s rare boldness and possessiveness. paige wasn’t prepared for it either, as she snaps her open mouth shut, her current light pink cheeks quickly turning into a deep shade of crimson, a flush that spread to her ears and neck. she opened her mouth after a second in attempt to save herself from falling deeper into a state of shyness that only azzi seemed to be able to put her into, but no words came out, her mind scrambled by the sudden onslaught of affection and possessiveness.

even though everyone knew they were together, paige and azzi had developed this unique dynamic – a routine that was rarely ever broken. with their relationship kept private from the media, they’d learned to show affection subtly. a casual brush of hands after a tough game, a soft smile exchanged when their eyes met, their love soft but sure. but when they were in private—alone in their dorms or surrounded by friends—they let their affection shine a little more. paige wasn’t afraid to be showy, pulling azzi close in the dark lights at ted’s or draping a possessive arm around her when some guy, reeking of booze, got too close. azzi, on the other hand, was quieter, more subtle. a gentle pinky link when the crowd got too overwhelming, or a fond smile when paige got loud and romantic.

so when azzi boldly claimed paige as her girl for everyone to hear? that was rare. and it hit paige harder than she had initially expected.

the table erupted with laughter, teasing paige mercilessly for how flustered azzi got her, not used to seeing their team-mate who was always so composed, cool, and bold so unbelievably quiet and shy. kk and sarah pointed at paige’s face, which was now the color of a ripe tomato.

“not paige about to implode right now! azzi, you broke her ass!” kk dragged out, teasing the blonde mercilessly. azzi sat back with a smug smile, clearly enjoying the effect her words had on paige. paige only groaned, her hands instinctively going to pull her hood over her face, trying to hide her flushed embarrassment.

“to think they’ve been together for years, and she still got paige blushing like this?” ice teased. “goddamn, azzi, teach me your ways!” the teasing only added fuel to the fire, and paige could feel her face burning further. kk laughs along, seeing an opportunity to piss her senior off more, “nonchalant final boss my ass, bueckers!”

“nah that’s just dirty kk!” aubrey howls, falling into another round of laughter, clutching her belly at just how bad paige was getting teased today.

paige gave them a glare, fanning her heated face with her free hand to cool herself down, attempting to ignore the handful of jabs thrown at her by her friends. azzi cooed, her previous confidence melting into a soft and affectionate tone. “aww, baby, it’s okay. i think it’s cute you’re still smitten over me like this.”

paige groaned louder, sinking into her seat, but she couldn’t help but lift her head to meet azzi’s eyes. the teasing glint in her girlfriend’s gaze made her heart race. “you’re supposed to be on my side,” she huffed, biting back a pout as azzi laughed with the rest of the team.

“well, i can’t lie, either, baby,” azzi teased back, her voice low and playful, “you are down bad for me.”

paige’s heart skipped a beat but pouts harder, making azzi take pity on her girlfriend as she leaned in, brushing her lips lightly against paige’s. what was meant to be a quick peck turned into a longer one, her hand reaching up to cup paige’s jaw in the gentlest of touches. the kiss was soft and teasing, but it left paige breathless nonetheless, her lips tingling as azzi parted, with her instinctively chasing after the softness and taste of her girlfriend.

“ugh, mom and dad are making out again!” sarah yelped loudly, while kk gasped in faux horror, covering the freshman’s eyes and making the whole table burst into roaring laughter.

“okay, when did it become ‘bully azzi and paige’ day today?” paige cast a weak glare at the younger ones, fondness clear in her voice.

then, an idea.

“and to think i was gonna pay for everyone’s meals today, too.”

the mood shifted instantly, and everyone sat up straighter, grins spreading across their faces. the teasing moment was quickly forgotten in favor of the chance to eat on paige’s dime.

“paige!” jana exclaimed with exaggerated enthusiasm, “man, i love you so much! i’m gonna miss you. you’re the best, did you know that?” the dramatic declaration made azzi burst into tears of laughter while paige rolled her eyes.

“nah, nah, ya’ll are fake as fuck,” paige said, the table erupting in loud protests as she crossed her arms in mock indignation. it had no heat to it though, as she felt her heart swell over her family smiling and laughing around the table.

as the sun fades into the sky, ribbons of pinks and purples mixing with blue, they continue to be the lovable mess the couple knows they are.

and paige and azzi?

they’re right there with them, hearts always together even if soon, their intertwined fingers won’t be.

[women-in-ssports]

Plane back to Storrs

The plane buzzed softly with the low hum of air and the faint, scattered sounds of music leaking from headphones long since forgotten. Most of the team had fallen asleep, exhaustion finally winning after the adrenaline rush of the biggest night of their lives. They were national champions now. UConn had done it.

Paige shifted in her seat, trying to get comfortable. Her hoodie was bunched at her shoulder, and her legs were cramped from sitting too long. She leaned her head against the cool window and let her eyes drift over the rows of sleeping teammates. Everyone looked peaceful, like kids again. KK was curled into a ball, hoodie strings tight around her face. Jana had dozed off mid-scroll, her phone dim on her lap.

Just as Paige was beginning to let her eyes close, she noticed the faint glow of the bathroom light disappear. The soft click of the door sliding open caught her attention. She looked up. For a split second, the faint light had caught on Azzi’s curls.

Paige blinked, a small smile playing on her lips.

Of course she’s awake.

Azzi wasn’t doing anything, just sitting there alone a few rows up, eyes moving slowly across the cabin like she was trying to memorize the moment. Paige could read her like a book by now. Azzi wasn’t lost or tired or even anxious. She was just… absorbing it all. The win. The flight. The team. The surreal feeling that this was real life now.

Paige moved slowly, carefully climbing over Kaitlyn, who muttered something in her sleep but didn’t wake. The small shift in movement made Azzi glance over, eyes locking with Paige’s. There was no surprise in her expression, just something warm and soft—like she’d been waiting.

“Mind if I sit?” Paige whispered once she reached her row.

Azzi didn’t say a word. She just reached out, fingers wrapping around Paige’s wrist, and gently tugged her down into the seat beside her. Paige slid in without hesitation, letting her shoulder rest against Azzi’s as naturally as breathing.

Azzi let her head fall back against the seat, her curls brushing Paige’s cheek as she turned slightly. Paige leaned in, letting her head rest on Azzi’s shoulder, letting out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding.

“I’m so proud of you, P,” Azzi said softly, almost into Paige’s hair. Her fingers brushed Paige’s hand, and then she turned slightly, placing the gentlest kiss on Paige’s temple.

Paige smiled, lifting her head just enough to meet Azzi’s gaze. “I’m proud of you,” she whispered back. Her hand found Azzi’s, warm and steady, fingers interlocking like they’d always belonged there.

And then she kissed her.

It wasn’t rushed. It wasn’t a celebration kiss or a victory high. It was slow and certain, something quiet and grounding between the whirlwind of interviews, confetti, and flashing cameras. Azzi’s hand moved to Paige’s cheek, keeping her close for just a beat longer before pulling away.

They sat back in silence, leaning on each other like they had since they were kids. Only now, it was different. Now their dream had become a reality — and they had done it together.

Through the aisle, Caroline shifted out of the bathroom. She rubbed her eyes, glancing forward to check on Paige—only to find her seat empty.

Her eyes traveled a few rows up, where she caught a glimpse of two familiar silhouettes pressed close together. Caroline tilted her head slightly. Even in the low light, she could tell. Azzis’s curls tucked under her hood, Paige’s head resting gently on top. Hands intertwined, smiles barely visible but definitely there.

Caroline smiled to herself, heart full in a way only a best friend could understand. She quietly moved to Paige’s now-empty seat, curling up without a word.

“Of course,” she whispered with a sleepy laugh, shaking her head as she settled in again.

Back up front, Paige and Azzi didn’t notice. Or if they did, they didn’t care.

The hum of the plane felt like a lullaby, and the weight of everything they’d done—the season, the pressure, the expectation—finally melted off their shoulders. Paige looked down at their hands again, thumb brushing slowly over Azzi’s knuckles.

“You ever think about this moment?” she asked softly.

Azzi turned slightly, looking at her. “You mean winning?”

“No,” Paige said, eyes still on their hands. “This. Us. Quiet like this. After everything.”

Azzi smiled, her voice barely above a whisper. “Every day.”

Paige looked up, their eyes meeting again, and in that second, all the noise of the season—the chatter, the doubt, the pressure, the expectations—they all faded away. It was just them.

Azzi reached up to tuck a stray hair behind Paige’s ear. “You’ve always been loud,” she said with a teasing smile. “But this? You’re the quietest I’ve ever seen you.”

“That’s ‘cause I just want to be here, with you.” Paige murmured, and that answer made Azzi’s smile grow.

Paige leaned in again, just close enough for her nose to brush against Azzi’s. “We’re national champs,” she said, like she still couldn’t believe it.

Azzi laughed quietly, a soft, breathy sound. “Yeah. And you’re still the same girl who tripped over her own shoes freshman year.”

Paige groaned. “Are you serious right now?”

Azzi raised her eyebrows, smug. “Never forget it.”

Paige rolled her eyes and tucked herself back into Azzi’s side, letting it all wash over her again. The win. The noise. The love. It was all here.

And she wasn’t alone in it.

Outside the window, stars flickered over the wing of the plane as they flew back toward Storrs. Back to campus. Back to reality.

But for now, Paige was here. With Azzi. In this quiet, perfect in-between.

And neither of them needed to say a word.

[moesthoughts]

Would love to see first kiss headcannons for the camp counselors

How would your first kiss be?

camp councilors x gen neu reader

warnings . . . fluff, suggestive if you squint

for the sake of max and laura’s hcs they aren’t together

dylan lenivy

Behind all the jokes and surprisingly smooth pick up lines, Dylan isn’t the most confident of people. Socially awkward is the word to describe him.

It’s you who makes the first move, the constant flirting and tension between you both practically drove you insane, you couldn’t wait any longer.

It was like any normal day, Dylan talking your ear off, making jokes to attempt to make you laugh. The way you hit his shoulder when he manages to get a chuckle out of you fills his stomach with butterflies.

“You just can’t keep your hands off of me can you?” Comes from his mouth, you’re not sure who’s face lit up brighter. You stare at him, and he instantly waves his hands around. Trying to play it off as a joke.

In the middle of his sentence you cut him off by pressing your lips against his, retreating away instantly, you scan his face for any discomfort.

To say he was taken off guard was an understatement, though once he regained consciousness from his dazed state. He chased you back down, lips crashing against yours. You kissed him back, your arms wrapping around his neck to deepen it.

He was pressed against the wall, sheepish arms snake around you. Your head was dizzy, your thoughts were clouded by Dylan.

You two would’ve gone further if it wasn’t for the “oh shit!” from kaitlyn, walking in on you two in the radio shack. You weren’t living this down.

nick furcillo

You and Nick had a pretty tight knit relationship, you both work in the kitchen so it wasn’t surprising that you are practically attached at the hip.

There was strong mutual attraction between you two, though both failed to recognize one another’s feelings.

It was the end of dinner time, and clean up was finished half an hour ago. Still, You and Nick were idle in the kitchen talking about whatever crossed your minds.

“Hey Nick, I have a question.” You spoke up, he hummed in response, raising an eyebrow. The way his name fell out of your mouth was perfect.

“Do you.. like anyone so far at camp?— Romantically.” Your feet acted on their own, slowly approaching the other. You lean on the counter near him, he seemed nervous.

“Well..” He started, his accent strong. You didn’t expect to feel a tug on your wrist, pulling you closer to him. His brown eyes were focused on your hand, his thumb caressing your knuckles. “I like you, a lot. I don’t think anyone else here interests me as much as you.”

Your cheeks tinted a soft hue of red. Out of every councilor, you weren’t expecting your name to roll off his tongue.

“That’s good to know. Yknow I feel the same way—“ before you could finish, Nick’s lips found yours, pulling you into a delicate kiss. His lips were soft and tasted like mint chapstick, your fingers wormed around his to interlock your hands.

You pull away to catch air, you opened your eyes to meet his. He was so enamored with you, it made you melt even more.

“Why don’t we go down to the campfire?” You interrupted the moment, Nick hurriedly nodded in agreement.

ryan erzahler

Ryan didn’t go out of his way to talk to the other councilors, they usually went to him. Which is exactly what you did, made an effort to talk to him. His loner persona was alluring, you never could take your eyes off of him.

You two became close surprisingly quickly, Ryan enjoys talking to you, and of course you feel the same. Conversation flows smoothly between you guys. The others quickly noticed.

Neither of you can think of a time where you haven’t been together, quality time is important in your relationship. Whether it was walking, hanging out silently, or simple quiet chit chatter.

The small things matter the most, it didn’t need to be any bigger than it already was.

You two were sitting on a log in the forest, watching the view in front of you, your eyes fixate on the view in front of you, Ryan’s rest on your face, examining your facial features.

His hand rested on yours, causing you to look over with a smile. The way he looks at you always makes you nervous.

You liked each other, it’s was obvious even to you. You lean closer to him, your eyes do the communicating. Ryan scoots closer, and pecks you on the lips, one, two, three times before going in for an actual kiss.

Your free hand cups his cheek, he leans into it with a small hum. Thank god for silent communication.

jacob custos

Jacob is a pretty open person, if he’s attracted to someone he will pursue them straight away. What can he say, he’s a charming guy!

From the start of camp, Jacob had a little “hallway crush” on you. Orientation was where it started, He couldn’t take his eyes off you. You’re attractive, and have a certain energy to you that just pulls him in.

You find yourself getting close to Jacob over the first month of camp, you two just couldn’t stop bumping into each other! of course it was on purpose, he just adores talking with you.

At one point he asked you to sneak out, of course you agree. Which brings you to the present, sitting at the dock with your legs dangling over the water. Talking about who knows what, Jacob sure knows how to keep a conversation alive.

“Hey I actually do have something important to ask you—“ Jacob suddenly switched the conversation, you look at him with curiosity. “Sure. What’s up?”

“So I actually am very into you, like very. I was wondering if yknow.. you, me? would be work out?” Jacob points his fingers back and forth between you both, you snort.

“Yeah duh, I’m into you too.” You respond, scooting closer to him. You can tell he got the hint, by the way he wraps his arm around you and pulls you in for a nice slow kiss.

You slowly bring you and him down, your back is on the dock and he’s half on top of you. The kiss breaks off then comes back alive, more passion blooming.

This has to be the best night so far.

max brinly

Max is a bit clueless, especially when it comes to romance. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t have natural charm, he’s had previous experience in the dating world after all.

Infact, that’s what you’re attracted to about him. Clueless guys are cute, the way he looks at you when he’s confused makes you smile, it’s just so adorable.

You both happened to get paired up during cleaning duty one fateful lunch, you were scared to speak with him at first. Once you did though, you two hit it off instantly. Chatter curing the usual boredom of cleaning.

From that day, you both couldn’t stay away from each other. Max would go out of his way to visit your station (even if you’re actively teaching the kids something) You don’t mind though.

Today, you happened to get some free time in the afternoon. You were quick to tell Max and he seemed happy, you planned to go on a walk with him. So you were in a good mood all day.

On the walk you both chat about your days, though you both stop once you come across two camper’s names etched in the wood, a heart surrounding it. Your heart practically explodes in your chest.

“Cute kids, huh? Hey, why don’t we do the same thing?” You feel heat rise to your cheeks, but you accept either way. Max happened to have a pocket knife on him.

After it was done, you two were crouched in front of it. You equally had red faces. You turn your head towards him and reach your hand out, running your fingers through his hair. You slowly got closer to each other, before connecting with a kiss. Max places his hand on your knee and deepens the kiss.

You break off the kiss, nervous laughter spilling from you both. Once your able to think properly again, you look around you. “Shit— we need to get back for dinner.” You two quickly ran off towards the lodge.

emma mountebank

You and Emma became close pretty quickly, having a shared love for theatre really helped secure that bond. Other than her extroverted personality, you guys clicked easily.

Conversations include gossiping, rambling about your lives outside of summer camp, and complaining about how rowdy the kids could get. Emma is glad she has someone close to talk to about whatever, and You’re just glad you have a friend.

You two happened to also quickly develop feelings for one another, Emma was smitten. You were kind, funny, good with kids, and pretty good looking. You couldn’t get your mind off of her, just speaking with her now made your heart race.

Backstage is where you two were usually hiding from kids, so it wasn’t a surprise that’s where you reside currently. Emma groans, rolling her eyes as you complain about Nick and Abi dancing around their feelings for each other.

“Holy shit, I know! She’s always talking about him and not making a move, I really do love Abi but she’s gotta grow some balls.” She said, resting her head in her hand.

“I don’t think it’s her who needs to grow balls.” There’s a beat before you both break into loud giggles, Emma hit you on the shoulder.

“Hey actually speaking of crushes, do you have the hots for anyone?” Emma readjusts herself, that familiar smirk coming onto her face. It’s always when she’s getting nosey.

“Well it so happens that I actually do.” It’s your turn to smirk, Emma purses her lips and squints at you. Under your poker face, your hearts’ practically beating out of your chest.

“She wouldn’t happen to be right in front of you would she?” She asks, your face heats up.

“And what if she was?” You don’t have time to think, Emma is already pulling you into a kiss. It’s passionate right away, you don’t hesitate before pressing back into her. A satisfied whine is pulled from her.

You guys practically made out for an hour, if it wasn’t for Dylan coming in and forcing you both to help with lunch. You would’ve spent more time together.

abi blyg

Abi is a shy girl, anyone could tell that from miles away. Though that didn’t stop you guys from becoming really close at the beginning of camp, your personalities mix together really well.

You have an appreciation for any kind of art, Which is why you mean so much to Abi. You both bond majorly over your love for art, even if it might be different things you are interested in.

You sit in to watch some of her classes. The first time you decided to observe, she was pretty nervous to have an extra set of eyes on her. But overtime she got back into the flow of things again, her being so passionate made you fall in love then and there.

Abi fell in love the moment you actually made an effort to be her friend and seem genuinely interested in her hobbies, she’s never had someone like that.

Today, Abi invited you over her cabin. She found nail polish in her bag and wanted to paint for nails, you accepted straight away.

“—And I was like, Jacob you can’t just say that about a kid. I mean the lowest you can ever go is shit talk a kid. Especially when you’re at a table next to them!” Gossip spills from your mouth, earning multiple giggles from Abi.

“I’ve been waiting for someone to say something! I thought it was just me who thought it was weird.” She responds, painting your nails with caution. The way she gently holds your hand and puts effort into making your nails look good, it just makes butterflies swirl in your stomach.

Once she finishes your nails you compliment her work, making her a bit bashful.

“Hey Abi.. This is really random but, You’re practically my best friend and I don’t want to ruin what we have. But, I really like you. I want to try to have something more than just friendship.” You notice you catch her off guard, her face lights up as her eyes dart around the room.

“I.. I feel the same, I was also nervous about telling you.” She responds, taking your hands in hers. “Can I.. kiss you?” The question rolls off her tongue oh so beautifully. You instantly nod slowly closing the space between you.

kaitlyn ka

Kaitlyn is a chill girl, her vibes were what attracted you. At first her constant teasing was frustrating. You two had a rocky start, disagreeing a ton.

Though, once you injured yourself in a climbing accident. You both had a chance to finally sit down and get to know each other. Your defensive wall lowered immediately and you both genuinely enjoyed the company.

From then on, You and Kaitlyn formed a tight bond. You found yourself making constant excuses for why you needed to go to the nurses office, retreating from your task just to talk with her.

She always scolds you, but in reality she loves your presence. She adores your personality, and your face is really— fuck she likes you.

You started falling for her as well, the way she handles you so gently, caressing the small bruises you use as an excuse to see her. It makes you feel all fuzzy inside.

For the second time today, you go to the nurses office. You assume that Kaitlyn always expects you to come in, when you enter the doorway and she’s facing the medicine cabinet, she calls out your name without looking.

“Hey Kait’, No injuries this time. I just have a genuine question to ask.” A serious tone fills your voice as you sit on the cot next to her. “You never have an actual injury, dude.” Kaitlyn sasses you, effectively causing you to roll your eyes.

“Anyways, what’s up buttercup?” She turns to you with her eyebrow raised, you exhale out the anxiety that’s festering inside of you. “How do you feel about me? Like genuinely.”

“Are you serious?” Kaitlyn asks, you bite your lip with a sheepish head nod. She laughs a bit before sitting next to you on the cot, her hand resting on your thigh.

“I don’t think i’ve felt this way about someone ever since middle school, I’m so into you it’s no joke. You make me feel so different in the best way.” She looks at you in a way you can tell she’s serious, a smile creeps its way onto your lips.

“You haven’t had bitches since middle school?” You laugh nervously as her eyebrows furrow. “Kidding! Kidding! I feel the exact same way I just didn’t—“ You are cut off from her lips crashing onto yours. You kiss her back, slightly pushing her into the mattress as you do.

You break it off once your lungs start to burn, you both stare at each other with love in your eyes.

laura kearney

Laura is a hardcore animal lover, it was the field she wants to go into anyway. Taking care of animals makes her happy, which is why when she saw you feeding a squirrel a nut stolen from the cafeteria, she instantly had a small attraction to you.

She started speaking to you first, asking about how you feel about animals and mentioning how she saw you feeding a squirrel a nut. You rambled on about your favorite animals and your love for nature.

From then on, You and Laura made an effort to observe the wildlife around you as much as you could. Due to that you two are always together during your free time.

Overtime you developed mutual feelings for each other, You subtly flirted with each other every nature walk you took. Which in turn made you both fall harder.

Both of you are sitting on the steps in front of your cabin, Laura’s head is resting on your shoulder while you write in your shared log about the different types of birds you saw.

She lifts her head off of your shoulder, causing you to glance over at her to see if anything was up. Her eyes stare into yours, it looks like she’s hesitant to say something.

“I just wanted to say, Thank you so much for doing this with me. I mean, I can’t even be more grateful that such a.. lovely person decided to pick up a hobby with me.” Her words turn into mumbles as Laura approaches the end of her sentence, it happens when she’s nervous.

You smile softly, fidgeting with the pen in your hand. “..Yeah?” You feel tension in the air, though it doesn’t feel wrong. It feels so right.

“Yeah.” She responds, you two look at each other for a good minute before she cups your cheek. You set down the notebook knowingly and meet Laura half way, sharing a kiss with her.

You could stay in this moment forever.

FINALLY FINISHED THIS!! I started yapping when i got to the women so excuse that (i’m a lesbian). Also sorry for Laura’s part being lowkey rushed my sleeping meds kicked in towards the end of writing it.

[fruitcakebro]

I really hate how Garroth's betrayal is treated, but more specifically what caused it. An illusion of Laurance and Aphmau kissing? Really? That was enough to make you betray both of them?

Y'know what would have been more thematically interesting, less shitty-trope-focused, and have the potential for interesting parallels with other characters?

If he saw something indicating that Aphmau was going to hand him and/or Laurance over to Garte for the siege to be called off.

And Garroth being Garroth, he immediately starts catastrophising. There's no way his father would stop at getting just him and Laurance. It would be them, then Kaitlyn, then Lucinda, then Dante and Nicole, until the town was left defenseless, and then they'd attack. And Aphmau would have to marry Zane and it's only a matter of time before that gets her killed or worse. He knows how his father thinks, and it's not a stretch to say that Garte was behind the invasion, and Zane was only to put an intimidating face on it without technically being directly involved.

It's especially easy to believe that if you're an older brother who's desperately trying to grasp at straws for reasons your only remaining little brother is still a good person.

And then there's also that gut-wrenching terror of going back to his marriage with Scaleswind. Of giving up his friends, his calling, and -let's face it- his own bodily autonomy. If he goes back, he is nothing. He exists to keep quiet, produce an heir, and smile for portraits. With the things he did to get away, there's no chance he could be lord now. It's that or execution.

And Laurance doesn't even have that option. And he's a Shadowknight. Even if he DIDN'T have the extensive record of openly opposing O'kasis he would be on death row.

But then Zane gives him a counter-offer.

Garroth comes quietly, hands over an amulate that hadn't done Phoenixdrop any good anyway -Zane insists he only wants it for an unrelated project, and even so isn't that a nessecery risk?- and the rest of the town -including Aphmau, Laurance, and Kaitlyn- go free.

And he doesn't even have to go back to the marriage. In fact, he can even still be a guard, just for O'kasis.

If he only agrees to follow Zane.

Look me in the eye and tell me Garroth wouldn't accept that offer.

And of course, Zane betrays this deal immediately when all the people he wants to get rid of convieniently land in front of him. And Garroth trys to say this wasn't the deal, and Zane does not care.

"Aww, Big brother. The only lie I told you was that you were an important enough piece to change the rules. You were never even a player."

[imaginespazzi]

Another game down, another step closer to March (it's literally tomorrow guys) and like always, I have thoughts :)

Paige Bueckers: is insane

22 points on 90% NINETY PERCENT, NINE-ZERO PERCENT like y'all I don't think we even realize we're watching a once in a lifetime kind of efficient player. She's just- yeah she's just insane. Not a flash of passive P tonight AND she got to sit for a whole quarter? Yeah, this is HER season and everyone else is just along for the ride.

YEE FUCKING HAW ASH LET'S GO! I was actually a little concerned that first half because a) no one was helping P and b) Ash just looked like she was doing cardio out there but there's no energy like the energy a halftime buzzer beater can inject you. AND THE STEALS! Girlie been working on that defense and you love to see it.

My NFOY had a "quiet" 17 points which speaks to Sarah's maturity and her ability to just get a bucket. And the IQ is just so beyond her years; it's wonderful to see. That 3-ball isn't falling yet but TRUST it's going to and it's gonna be something special.

Ice finally gave me something. I still wanna see more but she was pretty god today. More than anything, I just loved seeing her hustle for those points. She boxed out well, made smarter decisions than usual. I see the progress and she's gonna get there (off the bench), I see the vision

Kaitlyn did what Kaitlyn does. I think we could use a little more from her but I think her presence is really solid. She made some questionable decisions tonight but I do think the Storrs environment which is unlike anything she's used to maybe played a factor.

Speaking of questionable decisions, KK made a fair few of them and reminded me of her freshman self. However, she also reminded me of the really great stuff she did her freshman year with a couple defense and offensive plays.

Jana didn't get as much playing time as I'd have liked her to get but the minutes she did get? Effective as hell and I can't wait for her to geting into the starting-lineup.

Morgan's a SHOOTER. And boy did we need shooting because 3's? Not our thing at all tonight.

Allie wasn't really a factor tonight but she also didn't feel like a burden so you really can't complain because her main job is to go out there, not be a liability, maybe make some things shake so that the starters can get their much needed rest.

Overall I don't think was a particularly great game. The first half was practically a Paige carry-job which is great for the agressive!P agenda but it's USF and I don't love that we were so dependent on her. The third quarter was pretty good (made up for the last one agianst BU) and the fourth quarter showed that we're still learning how to navigate without Paige. Again, its really early and the fact that we won by so much just shows how much talent we have and how high our floor is, which means out ceiling is waaaay higher.

Free. Throws. We don't get as many as we should as it is so please, please, please, make them.

Three point defense needs a fair amount of work.

Caroline is still wearing earplugs and I just wanna give the girl a hug.

Paige and Azzi finally got to sit to next to each other and immediately started yapping as if they don't do that all day?

[fruitbasketball]

ncaa recap: uconn vs. unc

i hope that was one quiet ass bus ride.

no like deadass praying to god that this fourth quarter haunts them when they face south carolina in the final four

everyone say it with me: BASKETBALL IS A GAME OF RUNS!!!!

what are these turnovers 😭😭😭 why are we missing offensive rebounds

guys this lowk should’ve been a blowout like i am largely unhappy with how this game went

thank you sarah strong!!!! what a spectacular stat line oh my goodness: 14 points 13 boards 6 assists 5 blocks - beautiful! stunning! i know she got the 3 in her bag but this was not her game from 3; 0-7 not a cute stat.

paige was not on her regular efficiency - but having 10 points in the first like 5 mins of the game was just stupid. 29 on 60% shooting… if passive paige were really gone it would’ve been a 30 piece easy 🥱

real talk tho… she cookin y’all. 1-2 punch w sarah will go crazy. talk soon.

kaitlyn fouling out 😭😭😭 ice with a cool 4 fouls 😭😭😭 MAN IF Y’ALL WANNA PLAY D PLAY CLEAN D

on a real tho this was one of the worse whistles i’ve seen on an ncaa court like… y’all did not want my girls to winnn

stressing me the FUCK out good LORD

anyway idgaf about fort dicks and holy shit cross or whatever but this better not be what y’all have to show against louisville

shitty win ladies good night 🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽

[latenighttalkinqwp]

You should write the team doing the blind deaf and mute challenge/ or just Paige idk

blind, deaf & mute challenge!

- okay for blind, i definitely see kaitlyn , aubrey, ash, and allie because they are the most likely to not cause a disaster when they are given a task 😭

- the girls definitely fight over who gets what, so you just end up using a randomizer to get rid of one less argument

- kk is definitely deaf. no argument there ( because she physically can’t be quiet ) and maybe paige and jana ? there is definitely an argument over who gets aux.

- you, azzi, morgan, and sarah are 100% mute. oddly enough, that was the one thing everyone could agree on. ( sarah tried to argue her way out of it but…)

- the goal was to make two batches of brownies, which seemed like a task that wouldn’t be impossible considering there was so many of you. ( it took three hours)

- yanna and caro definitely just stood back and tried to keep everything under control ( per your request because you didn’t want the apartment to be covered with brownie mix or flower ) which really didn’t work because they both got in with the chaos- but the attempt for peace was there!

- the final of the brownies was…interesting. they definitely weren’t trash worthy but the question was if they were safe to eat and if it was worth the risk..

- thanks so much for reading all the way through! click here to see my masterlist. likes and reblogs are appreciated 🤍

- i loved this ask!! slowly but surely clearing out that inbox 🫡

[bxeckersz]

smoked away my brain | Jana El Alfy x teammate female!reader

summary: Jana and y/n get high together

warnings: weed, language, smoking

“I smoked away my brain. I think i’m going dumb.”

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

“Hey guys!” I yelled as I walked through the door. “hey y/n” The girls said. “Whatcha guys doin’?” I asked. “I’m doing my homework” Aubrey says. “Same” Paige and KK say.

“I have no idea where the other girls are. probably in their rooms or something” Paige shrugged. “Is Jana here?” I ask. “Yeah shes in her room doing whatever” KK said, her face glued to her computer. Man, they really put the student in student athlete.

“Jannn!!” I announced, bursting into her door. “hii y/nn” Jana said, giving me a hug. Out of everyone on the team, me and Jana are the closest.

“where have you been all day?” Jana asked as I flopped down onto her bed. “I was shooting around, uh I went to classes then study hall, I went to my friend’s house, and I shot some pictures for my NIL deal” I shrug. “Shooting around on an off day? crazy” Jana laughs.

“You know why i came home?” I raiseed my eyebrow, a slight smirk on my face. “oh my gosh. Yes, yes.” Jana says almost immediately. It’s like she reads my mind, I swear.

“You wanna get high, don’t you?” Jana says, getting up. “You already know.” I reply.

☆☆

Me and Jana were passing the blunt back and forth with quiet music playing in the background. “Sometimes, I wish I could get high everyday. But then I remember i chose to be an athlete” I groaned, passing the blunt to Jana.

“I know” Jana giggled. By that point me and Jana were higher than a fucking kite. “I’m so fucking high” I laugh, laying back. “My God, I know. Me too” Jana giggled with me, putting the blunt out.

“Guys we’re about to have a movie- ew bro, it smells like 398 pounds of weed and sweat in here. ugh” KK gags, immediately closing the door. “ya’ll they high as fuck right now.” We hear KK say.

“we should go out there” I said, my voice raspy. “Yeah, we should.” Jana giggled as we got up.

“No, go ya’ll high asses back in there.” Paige said. “hush” I mumble, flopping down on the couch. “see this is why we need to ban weed from Jana and Y/n. This is the second time this week ya’ll have gotten high together” Morgan says. “Relax, mom” I laugh.

“That was a good one” Jana giggles with me. “What the hell are we gonna do with them” Kaitlyn says, shaking her head as she watches us laugh and giggle.

We quite literally smoked our brains away.

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

thanks for reading!

ya’ll this is so rushed and bad 😭.

[the-fox-with-no-name]

Neil and Andrew would be good as plant dads Just imagine. In their new home, boredom drives them to an unexpected hobby: plants.

Neil dives in headfirst, genuinely enjoying the process of tending to the plants, even getting his hands dirty without hesitation. It’s soothing, almost therapeutic, to him, watching something grow under his care.

Andrew, of course, grumbles from the start. It was his idea, after all, but he’ll never admit it. He complains about the mess, the time, and Neil’s obvious enjoyment. Yet, when it’s quiet, you’ll find him meticulously checking the plants, ensuring none of them wither on his watch.

Sure, he’ll mutter something about Neil being incapable of keeping track of watering schedules, but deep down, Andrew appreciates the endeavor. It’s theirs a shared distraction, a quiet, living reminder of their ability to nurture something together.

Some of the plants become part of their home’s charm, decorating the kitchen, the living room, and even a corner of Andrew's space that no one is supposed to touch, but Neil does anyway.

Neil, ever resourceful, learns to press flowers. It starts as a small experiment, but soon it turns into a way to stay connected with the Foxes. He sends carefully pressed flowers with little notes: a sunflower for Kevin ("Keep reaching higher"), a dandelion for Dan and Matt, and a mix of blooms for Renee and Allison that somehow conveys everything he can’t put into words.

Andrew pretends not to care, but he’s just as thoughtful. He quietly tucks a few pressed flowers into an envelope for Bee, her favorite kinds, of course. For Aaron and Kaitlyn’s wedding, he begrudgingly sends them a small collection, expertly pressed and arranged with more care than he’ll ever admit.

Neil, ever intuitive, sends Jean a special mix: a pressed dandelion, sunflower, lotus, and peony. Each one chosen deliberately, a silent message of freedom, hope, resilience, and healing. When Jean receives it, he understands the meaning without Neil needing to say a word.

Their little hobby grows into something more, a quiet way to reach out, to nurture, and to remind those they care about that they’re not forgotten.

[sydneyindawoodz]

MAMA I’M A NATIONAL CHAMP !. 𝘫𝘢𝘯𝘢 𝘦𝘭 𝘢𝘭𝘧𝘺 𝘹 𝘧𝘦𝘮 𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳!

The atmosphere in the arena was buzzing as the UConn women’s basketball team geared up for their Final 4 showdown against USC. The players were hyped, adrenaline pumping. You had your camera in hand, ready to capture the intensity of every play. Jana El Alfy shot you a look, fire in her eyes. Jana: "Yo, we finna light it up today, you got the shots ready?" You adjusted your lens, locking eyes with her. You: "You already know, I’m here for all the heat."

The squad was huddled up, KK bouncing on her toes, Ashlynn cracking a joke to loosen the mood, Paige and Azzi were locked in, Allie was laser-focused, Aiyanna was bouncing to the beat in her head, and Kaitlyn was the quiet storm, just ready to wreck. Sarah was doing her thing, getting everyone’s energy right.

KK: "We ain't scared of no defense. We breakin' through like it's nothin'." Azzi: "Yo, I’m pullin’ from anywhere. Just keep that ball movin’." Allie: "We a family out here. We ain’t goin’ down without a fight." Paige: "This court’s ours. We ain’t leavin’ without the W."

You snapped a few shots, catching that pre-game fire.

You: “Y’all got this, huskys. Just do y’all thing, and I’ll capture the greatness." Sarah: "Ain't no way we not takin' this dub, photographer. Watch us work." You flashed a quick smile, feeling the hype in the air. The buzzer sounded, and the girls exploded out of the huddle, Jana giving you a nod. Jana: "Let’s go make ‘em regret stepping on this court." You followed them onto the court, camera ready. This was it. No more talk—time to show the world what UConn’s made of.

[echoingbirdsofprey]

Lightning On My Lips (Every Time You Kiss Me)

29 - Runnin' On Dreams And Gasoline

Pairing: Tyler Owens x OFC Georgia Tennley

Rating: EXPLICIT (MDNI!)

Warnings: Some pregnancy talk, some swearing but par for the course at this point.

A/N: They find out some things! As always, reblogs, comments, likes, etc. are much, much appreciated! Love y'all for reading!

Tags: @mrsevans90 @djs8891 @gpsmississippihippie @barnesboo1967 @dizzybee03 @coloraturadiva @kmc1989 @khouse712 @crossskylinesandcontrails @kaleysbookshelf @rootedinrevisions

Tyler walked out of the house, Grits hot on his heels. The dog was just a year old now and he was mostly grown. They had just had all three dogs fixed so they were trying to have them take it easy this week. Grits weighed in at a whopping fifty pounds and his shoulder just about met Tyler's knee. He headed toward the barn and found Georgia standing in the aisle with Roadie on the cross ties. She was brushing the little horse, and about to put the saddle on when she saw him.

“Hey, can you swing his saddle up for me? I feel like I shouldn't.” She asked and Tyler smiled and did as she wanted. They had a few extra saddles besides Tyler's big ass rope saddle, and Georgia's fancy old barrel saddles. She had planned to retire Wilene’s saddle, but it ended up fitting Roadie well, so she kept using it, but she was getting concerned with how fast her belly was growing this time around, that at just over the eight weeks, she had a significant bump. She bit her lip as she watched Tyler effortlessly place the saddle on the gelding’s back.

“You okay? You seemed a little off at breakfast this morning and you didn't come in to eat lunch. I meant to check on ya earlier but I've been on calls all morning. Jaycen's been real quiet today. He's nappin’ right now.” Tyler explained, placing his hand across the saddle and his other on her waist. 

“I'm just worried. I feel awful big this time around. Well, now, I am big this time. I've got a pretty significant bump and I feel like I'm eating for three when I can eat.” She explained as she bent to grab the cinch and secure it. She turned to face Tyler and he leaned down to kiss her.

“We have the appointment tomorrow. I'm sure everythin’ is just fine. It's not like there's twins in there. Right?” Tyler assured her, pulling her closer, her bump meeting him first, which made him smirk.

“What if there is?” She asked, placing her hands at his neck. He studied her for a moment, seeing the concern in her features. He brought a hand up, running his knuckles across her cheek carefully before cupping it.

“Then we need two names this time. What are we thinkin’?” He asked softly, smiling warmly at Georgia. She shook her head and the worry melted from her expression slightly as her eyes met his. 

“If it's girls, Kaitlyn and Janie. Boys...Cody for one...don't have another yet.” She said and Tyler nodded.

“And if it's both? I like Kaitlyn and Cody. Katie and Cody. Sounds nice, I think.” He said and Georgia agreed. 

“What do you want it to be?” She asked.

“I wouldn’t mind one of each. It’d be nice for you to have a little barrel racer in the house.” Tyler mused.

“How do you know she won’t be a roper or a cutter? Or maybe she won’t even want to do anythin’ with horses. Maybe she’ll be our little diesel mechanic. Or even better, she’ll be a storm chaser just like her daddy.” Georgia’s smile was wide as she thought of all the possibilities. Tyler pulled her into a hug and they stayed like that for a few moments, enjoying each other’s quiet company. 

🌪🛻🌪

Georgia and Tyler sat at the doctor's office, Jaycen in his mother's arms as they waited for their appointment. She was exhausted. Absolutely wiped out. And she was already showing, just shy of three months into this pregnancy, whereas with Jaycen, she had only begun to slightly show after four months. They didn't know if that was indicative of anything concerning, so the appointment was warranted.

They had two great doctors, Dr. Halstead, and Dr. Atwater, who would see them. Dr. Halstead did all the pregnancy visits and initial postnatal appointments, and then Dr. Atwater would be their regular pediatrician. For this visit, they would be giving Jaycen a quick check up and then doing the first ultrasound for Georgia. 

Jaycen was a healthy little boy, nothing concerning. He was just quiet, always observing, except when he was with Tyler. The little boy's smile was widest with him, and he was almost rambunctious. 

“I told you, he's an Owens. He's gonna be wild. But I'll tell ya, when he's with his momma, he's the quietest, sweetest baby ever.” Tyler said, as Dr. Atwater handed him back to Tyler. She had just taken some quick vitals and weight, everything nearly perfect. Dr. Halstead got the ultrasound ready for Georgia as Tyler sat next to the bed. Georgia shivered as the doctor spread the gel over her belly. 

“So, everything looks great so far. I know you were concerned as to why you were showing so early, and as I suspected, it's a simple answer. You've got twins.” Dr. Halstead turned the monitor so that she could point out the two heartbeats, and two sets of limbs. Georgia glanced at Tyler, who in staring at the screen, had tears in his eyes. He quickly wiped them away, balancing the baby boy and smiling at his wife.

“You just keep giving me everything I want, Gee.” He said, leaning down to kiss her, careful of the boy in his arms. 

They left with an ultrasound picture, and instructions until her next appointment. With them having twins, Dr. Halstead wanted to see her more often than she had with her first pregnancy. Two babies were going to be more taxing on her body, so she expected to be more tired and more sore. Tyler secured Jaycen in his carseat in the back of the new truck, Red Betty, as he had jokingly named it, but it turned out Georgia kind of liked that name for it. 

“So we're really goin’ all in on this one, huh?” He said, helping her into the passenger seat. 

“You're the one with the...what did they say...’hyper mobile sperm’?” Georgia joked, earning a chuckle from Tyler.

“I dont think its entirely me. We fuck like rabbits, darlin'. And nothin’ about it is safe. Guess we didn't listen about that in health class, huh?” Tyler started the truck and Georgia shook her head and smiled at him. She glanced back at Jaycen, who was fidgeting slightly and then quieted, beginning to close his eyes. It was about his diaper change and nap time so it was a good thing the doctor's office was decently close to home.

“So the next one, we go for triplets.” Tyler joked and Georgia glared at him.

“I'll kill you if you make me carry three kids.  I'm already a fuckin’ whale.” Georgia said, a smirk still painted across her lips.Tyler tilted his head and raised his brows.

“Don't you dare, you're beautiful, and hot, and sexy, no matter how big you get. You make me so happy...and horny...carryin' my kids.” He shot a look over at her, their eyes meeting. “Just think, we could be done having kids by the time we're both thirty.”

“Is that the goal?” She raised her brows, a teasing lilt to her voice.

“Well, I wanna spend as much of our lives with them...and I wanna have as much time as I can with you darlin’.” His voice grew unsteady and she shared the sentiment.

“Ty...stop you're gonna make me cry.” She bit her lip and sniffled, tears stinging her eyes.

“And you're gonna say it's just the hormones but I know you're just as sappy as I am.” He murmured, grinning at her again, as they pulled on to their long driveway, to their home.

“I love you.” She said, her gaze reverent as she held his.

“Love you too, Gee.” He said, reaching across the center console for her hand, like always. And like always, she took it, intertwining their fingers together.

🌪🛻🌪

Tyler was sitting on the front porch, enjoying the warmth and the change of the seasons. It was June, just at the end of it, and the chasing season had been slow to start. Tyler had plenty of time at home, more than he thought he would. The channel was doing fantastic and merch sales were off the charts. Georgia had lots of clients coming in for lessons, which was great because she couldn’t do too much riding with the twins in her belly. The only horses she was sitting on were Roadie and Ducati, sometimes Rascal if Tyler needed help.

Grits laid comfortably at his feet, on one of the many dog beds the dog had picked out for himself. Every time they went to the feed store, Grits always wanted to get a new bed and they always ended up leaving with something. There were beds and mats in the barn, near the arena, in the trucks, on both floors of the house, and of course, on the porch. 

Jaycen was bundled in Tyler’s arms, the little boy staring up at him, green matching green. 

“You’re gonna be a handsome lil’ devil, I know it.” Tyler murmured as he glanced over toward the arena. Georgia was in the middle of teaching her fourth lesson of the day, a girl who had been regularly trucking in with a few horses. Ophelia had taken over the riding on Twist and Tulsa for Georgia, and Lennon had even hopped on the mares here and there to play around with roping off of them. Tyler spoke again as he looked back down at his son. “And soon enough, you’re gonna have brothers and sisters. Well, at least I hope one of each. I know it seems like it’s gon be a long time but it’ll come sooner than we think, buddy. That’s why I’m thankful for every day I get with ya. You’ll be all grown up and feisty before we both know it.”

“Talking to the kid again, T?” Tyler hadn’t even noticed Boone’s footsteps on the stairs. Neither had Grits. Boone waved to Jaycen, who smiled and squirmed, making grabby hands at Tyler. He smiled and as Boone sat down, he offered for him to hold Jaycen. He politely declined. “Nah, it’s not that I don’t wanna. Just want you to have as much time as you can. Reports are comin’ in. It’s gonna start to get crazy soon. Lotta weather comin’ in.”

“Yeah...I feel like I’ve been on the phone non-stop with Kate and Scott. They’ve been drivin’ everywhere. We’re gonna have to head into Arkansas and Kansas. I’m dreadin’ it, Booney.” Tyler explained, letting Jaycen grab one of his large fingers. The little boy held it with force, making Tyler chuckle. “Strong lil’ bugger. Don’t get into a tussle with him.”

“Nah, T, your kids are all gonna be tough mother fuckers. Even the girlies, if you have ‘em. You and Gee are a force of nature together.” Boone said, smiling, thinking of all the memories he had with the two of them.

“Thanks Booney. We’re doin’ our best.” Tyler said, glancing over at him.

“You’re doin’ more than your best. I know it might not feel like it sometimes, but you are.” Boone reassured him and Tyler thanked him.

“Appreciate that, man. I really do.” Tyler said, feeling Jaycen squirm again. Tyler adjusted him to rest in the crook of his other arm.

“You let me know what else you need. You take care of me and Lily so well.”

‘Well you guys deserve it. We couldn’t have the channel without you. And I wouldn’t have my sanity without you. You were there for me in real hard times. Which, that reminds me. Jake asked me to see if you’d like to head out to Cali for his and Sam’s wedding. He invited everyone else too. Dex and Dani can’t make it so they’re gonna stay down here chasin’. Kate, Scott, and Javi were gonna stay too. I get it if you don’t feel up to it or you just don’t wanna, but I wanted to offer.” Tyler explained and Boone smiled.

“I’ll ask Lily and get back to you. I’m sure she’d like a lil’ vacation.”

“I know we’re plannin’ on drivin’ out with the dogs. Momma and Pops are gonna fly. Jake said the drive wasn’t bad but they did stop a bunch.” Tyler said, noticing Jaycen’s eyes drooping. “Oh, someone’s gettin’ sleepy. Might go put him inside for a nap. You hangin’ around a bit?”

“Yeah, I had some data from Cairo that Lily wanted me to drop off. I’ll go grab it and bring it to your office.”

“Thanks, I’ll be back in fifteen or so.” Tyler said, standing and opening the door, letting Grits go through first. The dog ambled beside his human as Tyler made his way up to Jaycen’s room. He checked his diaper before settling the boy in his crib. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to his forehead and then pulled the chair up to sit beside him. Grits laid down again as Tyler grabbed a book and quietly read the words until Jaycen drifted off to sleep. 

🌪🛻🌪

“Why did you get another Christmas colored truck?” Javi asked, his hands on his hips as he stared at Red Betty. Georgia was sitting in the driver's side with the door open and Tyler was standing on the running board, hovering over her as the Wranglers discussed the next upcoming chase. It was getting close to the time when Tyler would have to go out on chases and he was dreading it a little bit.

“Because I wanted us to be cute and match.” Tyler smirked and glanced at Georgia, who just shook her head.

“And Kate picked the green truck herself.” Scott said, his arm around Kate’s shoulders. She smiled up at him and patted his arm. Georgia loved seeing Kate happy and with a significant other. She needed the distraction from work. 

“So am I included in the Christmas colors truck squad?” Javi asked, pointing to his truck, the white Ram.

“If you paint your truck.” Boone murmured from the bed of his truck, and it got everyone else laughing.

“Yeah, only the two big Christmas colors.” Kate teased.

“White is a Christmas color. It’s literally the color of snow.” Javi said, folding his arms across his chest.

“Well, Javi, some places don’t get snow for Christmas so.” Kate mused, making Scott dip his head and hide his grin against her hair. 

“Yeah!” Boone yelled, as he sunk down into the bed of his truck, fiddling with something metallic.

“Wow okay, well Scott and I can just be the non-Christmas squad then.” Javi joked. Kate glared at him and then poked Scott's chest.

“Man, nah, I’m gonna get a green truck to match Kate.” Scott said, chuckling to himself.

“Are you fucking kiddin’ me? You guys are just playin’ right?” Javi threw his hands up in frustration.

“Of course we are, Javi. Scott is gonna get a black truck because of his black soul.” Kate smirked and then she nudged Scott with her elbow.

“You know me so well.” He nudged her back, earning a giggle from Kate.

“Aright, listen up.” Tyler said, as he tapped on the roof of Georgia’s truck. “We’ve got some good numbers comin’ in over the next week. We’re gonna split into two teams for this one. I’ll be in my truck and Boone and Lily in his with the trailer. We’re heading to Arkansas. Kate, Scott, Javi, Dex and, Dani, y’all are gonna head to Kansas with the caravan and three trucks. They’re predicting some pretty big storms out there this week so we’ve gotta get good data. Then, we’re gonna meet in the middle, probably Joplin, Missouri and reevaluate. Then I’ve gotta head out to Cali for next week so y’all are on your own for a bit after that. If we have any problems, communication is key. If you can’t get a hold of me, you call Gee and she’ll get me, or Dustin will. If we have any issues with trucks, just head back here and Bobby can get here in a real emergency. Okay, let’s pack up the burritos. Time to go.” Tyler’s instructions were as concise as he could make them and he stepped down off the running boards of Georgia’s truck as everyone else wished each other luck and hopped into their vehicles. 

The yard was alive with the hum of diesel engines and as everyone secured belongings and began to drive down the driveway, the only one who would be left was Tyler. He had already said goodbye to Jaycen, who was asleep in the house now, but he reached down to rub Waffles and Pancake’s backs and then he pulled Georgia in for a tight hug. 

“Be careful, Tyler. I love you.” She said softly, kissing him fervently, desperately, and not wanting him to leave, but knowing he had to.

“I love you too, Gee, and I will. I’m gonna call you every day, twice a day. Maybe three times. Know I’m gonna be real lonely without you and that boy.” Tyler’s eyes grew misty and Georgia smiled into another kiss.

“You’ve got Gritty.” She murmured, motioning to the dog, who wagged his tail and barked softly.

“I know, and he’ll be great company, but I’m sure gonna miss home.” Tyler’s fingers ran up and down her back gently, his nose touching hers.

“You’ve got somethin’ to come back to, Ty. You’ll always have somethin’ to come back to.” Georgia said, and as they parted, Tyler blew her a kiss and tipped his hat before pointing to the truck, where Grits jumped in and sat in the passenger side. Tyler yelled that he loved her again as he shut the door and /tapped his hand a few times on it before letting Ole Red roar to life. He backed out of his spot in the driveway and swallowed hard as he took one last look at Georgia, barefoot and pregnant, waving at him, with the two blue heelers sitting protectively next to her, wagging their tails.

[lindsey-laufeyson]

Distractions- Chapter 9

Distractions Masterlist

Pairing: Reader x FWB!Tom Hiddleston

Series Warnings: SMUT, fluff, angst, friends with benefits

It was the morning after you had discovered the drunk texts from Tom and you were exhausted. Though you had tried to sleep, your anger kept you awake until the wee hours of the night, and when you finally fell asleep, you dreamt that Tom was saying the exact things he said in those messages, but in person. He was spitting them at you like a cobra spits venom, over and over until you woke up in a cold sweat. You dragged your feet getting ready for work, dreading the day ahead of you, and you had to put extra effort into covering up all of the marks Tom left on your neck the previous night. Unfortunately, that meant you didn’t have time to get yourself a latte on your way to work, and you hated drinking the shitty coffee from craft service. 

When you arrived at work, you were glad to be setting up alone. You and Kaitlyn had taken to alternating days where one of you would prep in the morning and one of you would close up at the end of the day. By now, you’d considered Kaitlyn to be a friend, but you hadn’t forgotten the fact that she’d told Tom about Trevor. Eventually, you would have to confront her about it, but for the time being, you would simply enjoy your peace and quiet.

Half an hour later, Tom and Kaitlyn arrived at the same time, Kaitlyn greeting you with her usual, much too chipper “good morning,” and Tom with an apologetic look in his eyes and two coffees in hand. You merely gave them a half-hearted “morning” before turning back to your station. 

“I thought you might like a latte,” Tom said meekly, putting the coffee cup from your favorite café on the counter in front of you. 

“I’d like to get started right away, if that’s alright with the two of you,” you stated, refusing to look at Tom and ignoring the latte you so desperately needed.

“You alright?” Kaitlyn asked. 

You shrugged. “Tired. Didn’t sleep well.” Out of the corner of your eye you saw Tom look at you with concern, but just like the latte, you ignored it.

The minutes dragged on at an agonizing pace as you listened to Tom and Kaitlyn make idle chit chat while you worked in silence. Whenever they attempted to bring you into the conversation, you gave them one word answers without looking up once. You could tell they were both uncomfortable with the palpable tension emanating from you, but you didn’t care. 

By the time Tom’s hair and makeup was almost finished, you’d decided that you were desperate to leave the awkward silence you’d created and even more desperate for caffeine. “Kaitlyn, you finish up,” you told her. “I’m going to go get some coffee from craft service. I’ll meet you on set.” 

“But–” she began, confusion in her voice as she pointed to the now cold latte sitting on the counter. She was cut off by the sound of the trailer door shutting behind you.

…

When you arrived on set, you decided you’d rather stand in the back rather than sit in your chair next to Kaitlyn. It wasn’t just that you were angry with her for telling Tom about Trevor, but you also knew that she would want to know why you were ignoring Tom and try to pry it out of you as soon as she had the opportunity. Mostly though, you just wanted to be left alone for a while.

Of course, your job wasn’t that forgiving. You couldn’t keep putting your assistant on Tom, and you were nothing if not professional. Well, you had been before he came along. So, when duty called, you did what needed to be done with the intention that you would simply treat Tom as if he was a client you’d just met and keep things as professional as possible. Of course, Tom had other plans.

“Y/n,” Tom began as you touched up his makeup.

Without looking at him, you stopped him immediately. “If what you’re about to say isn’t strictly work related, I’m going to have to ask you to shut it.”

“I don’t understand why you won’t just hear me out.”

“I think you’ve said plenty in those texts you sent me.”

“I don’t think you’re being entirely fair…”

You finally looked him in the eyes, your eyebrows raised. “I’m not being fair? You basically called me a slut, Tom.”

His brow furrowed. “You know I would never call you or any woman a slut!”

“You may as well have.”

“I was pissed out of my mind!”

“So was I! But I didn’t send you any nasty messages, did I?”

“No, you just slept with Trevor.”

You shook your head as your eyelids narrowed. “Oh, fuck you, Tom. Don’t you dare throw that in my face. Last I checked, we’re allowed to sleep with other people.”

He stood his ground. “But you wouldn’t have slept with him had you been sober, just as I wouldn’t have said those awful things had I been sober.”

“That’s not the bloody point,” you shot back before you spun around and stormed back to where you had been standing before, eager to regain your solitude. You spent the rest of the morning there, and anytime Tom needed hair and makeup from that point on, he was wise enough not to push you any further and just let you work in silence. 

Kaitlyn, however, couldn’t stand your cold shoulder any longer, and just as you suspected she might, she eventually came to confront you.

“Are you going to tell me what’s going on with you or do I have to force it out of you?” Kaitlyn demanded.

You sighed and then looked at her with irritation. “Do you remember yesterday when I told you never to mention the whole Trevor fiasco ever again?”

“Yeah…” she replied with nervous hesitation.

“Well, for future reference, when I say that, I mean never to mention it to anyone.”

She scrunched her face in guilt. “Tom told you I told him?”

“He told me you told him.”

“But you didn’t tell me not to tell him!”

“Unless I tell you to tell someone, don’t tell anyone!”

“Wait, I’m starting to get confused.”

You let out an exasperated groan. “Why did you tell Tom about Trevor?”

“It was an accident, okay? He was so quiet yesterday, so I was trying to fill the silence when at some point it just sort of slipped out. I don’t see what the big deal is anyway. You guys are such close friends that I figured you were going to tell him anyway. I mean, you told Warren of all people.”

You pinched the bridge of your nose. “The point is, it’s my business and I should be able to decide who is privy to it and who isn’t.”

“You’re right,” she agreed. “I’m so sorry. It won’t happen again.”

“Thank you.”

After a beat, she spoke up again. “So now I know why you’re mad at me, but what did Tom do? I mean, it was pretty cold to blatantly reject his latte like that, and you haven’t exactly hidden the fact that you hate the coffee here.”

“I don’t hate it,” you defended. However, in your attempt to prove her wrong, you took a sip of your coffee and couldn’t fight back the grimace that appeared on your face.

“You were saying?”

“Alright, without giving too much detail, he said some things to me that a real friend would never say.”

“What?” She looked surprised. “That doesn’t sound like Tom at all. What did he say?”

“Do you really think I’d tell you after you opened your big mouth yesterday?”

“It just seems very unlikely that he would say anything untoward to anyone, let alone you.”

You shrugged. “It turns out people can surprise you. And what do you mean by ‘let alone me?’”

“Please. Are we going to pretend like you two don’t instantly light up every time you see each other? At least before yesterday you did. I can’t say whether it’s just your friendship or something more, but the two of you are like flint and steel. Together you create a fire that warms the entire room. The last two days, however, it’s been cold and dreary on set, and everyone can feel it, whether they realize why or not.”

You thought about what Kaitlyn said. While the sentiment was nice enough, you weren’t sure you believed her; or for some fucked up reason, you didn’t want to believe her. “I think you’re imagining things, Kait.”

“Deny it all you want, but it’s true. I don’t know what he said, but I think it might be worth it to forgive him. Not many people have the kind of infectious chemistry that you two have.” And with that, she left to go back to her chair.

You folded your arms and leaned back against the wall behind you. You were somehow more angry now because you knew Kaitlyn had a point. Was it really worth it to keep punishing Tom if it meant stewing in your own anger all day? But then Tom’s messages appeared in your head again, and the image from your dream of him yelling them at you. No. You weren’t ready to forgive him. As much as you wanted to, you just couldn’t. Not yet anyway.

…

By the time lunch was called, Tom felt utterly defeated. He knew he’d royally fucked up, but he didn’t know how to fix it. Typically he found that his words were his strongest asset in expressing himself, but he couldn’t begin to find the words to express how sorry he was, and even if he did, you refused to listen to anything he had to say. Not that he blamed you. 

While everyone else swarmed craft service or went off the lot to get their lunch, Tom found that he wasn’t hungry. This was the second day in a row that you had affected his appetite and it was maddening. He resolved to go back to his trailer, and on his way he heard your name come from behind one of the other trailers in the lot. He paused to listen.

“…but Max here was too bloody chicken to bag that bird!” exclaimed the voice of a man Tom didn’t recognize.

Then came a voice he could only assume belonged to Max. “I wasn’t chicken. She was just a fucking tease.”

A third man chimed in. “It’s a shame, really. Can you imagine what a spitfire like her is like in the sack?”

Max laughed. “The best part would’ve been getting to say that I fucked Hiddleston’s whore!”

Filled with blinding rage, Tom couldn’t listen to any more. He rounded the corner and met Max with a right hook to the jaw. The brawny man immediately retaliated with an equally devastating punch to his assailant, only to realize seconds later whose million dollar face he’d just marred.

“Shit,” Max cursed, his eyes wide with fearful regret. “Mr. Hiddleston, I—“

“If you ever want to work in this industry again,” Tom interrupted with a low growl. “I suggest you leave this studio in the next ten seconds and reevaluate how you’d like to treat women from now on.”

Without a word, Max nodded his head and sped off, his two friends following close behind him. 

“Fuck,” Tom hissed in pain as soon as they were gone. He held his right hand in his left, flexing it open and shut a few times while he examined it. The skin over his knuckles had split open from the force of his punch to Max’s hard jaw bone. He then carefully brought his fingers up to his throbbing left cheekbone, the sharp pain causing him to instantly retract them. 

It was a stupid thing to do. Tom was fully aware of that. He couldn’t even remember the last time he’d thrown a punch that wasn’t choreographed. He was never an aggressive person by any means, and he had certainly never abused his power like that, but he couldn’t stand men that were so blatantly disrespectful to women, let alone you. He began to shake with anger again just thinking about what Max had said about you, what he’d called you. 

…

For your lunch break you wanted nothing more than to hide away in your trailer, away from Kaitlyn’s infuriatingly insightful observations and, most of all, away from Tom’s stupid face. But you should have figured out by then that luck was not your friend as of late, because who should you run into on your way to your trailer but the exact stupid face you were trying to avoid. All anger was momentarily forgotten, however, when you saw he was hurt. 

“Oh my god, Tom, what the hell happened to you?” you asked in a panic as you rushed to him and grabbed his injured hand.

“It’s nothing.”

“Nothing?” You brought your hand up to his cheek to examine his face. “You’re bleeding! You need to see the medic.”

He shook his head. “Nevermind, it’s fine. I have a first aid kit in my trailer, so I can just patch myself up.”

“If you won’t see the medic, at least let me do it. I have some liquid plaster in my kit.”

“You don’t have to,” he urged you in a low, gentle tone. “Really.”

“Tom, it’s fine.”

He tilted his head forward and raised his eyebrows. “Are you sure?”

You sighed. Damn him for being so considerate. “Let’s just go before I change my mind.”

Tom’s trailer was small but rather nice, with a kitchenette, a table and two chairs, a sofa, a bathroom, and even a small bed in the back. Tom fetched the first aid kit out of one of the cupboards. 

“I’ll take that, you sit down.” You gestured to one of the chairs. He raised his eyebrows at you. “Sit.” You commanded once more. He obliged. After getting some ice from the freezer and putting it in a bag, you handed it to him “Hold this on your face.” Then you washed your hands, found a clean washcloth, and wet it with warm water. The whole time Tom simply watched you, looking up with those puppy dog eyes that always made you weak, but you were determined to focus on the task at hand. You sat down in the other chair and pulled it close to him so that you were sitting between his wide-spread knees. Letting out a quiet sigh, you took his injured hand and began gently cleaning it with the washcloth. “So, tough guy, who was it?”

“Sorry?”

“Don’t be daft, Thomas. I know fist fight injuries when I see them, so out with it.”

He hesitated for a moment. “I’m afraid you’ll be angry with me.”

“Well I’m already angry with you,” you told him as you took the liquid plaster out of your kit and applied it to the cuts on his knuckles. “So what have you got to lose?”

“It was Max.”

“What? Why would Max punch you?” you asked with a small chuckle at the ludicrous idea.

“Because I sort of punched him first.”

Your head shot up to look at him. “Why the fuck would you do that?”

“He was saying awful things about you,” Tom defended. “And don’t ask me to repeat them because I won’t.” 

“Oh well now you have to,” you told him, your curiosity piqued.

“I’m telling you, you don’t want to know.”

“I’m a big girl, Tommy. I can handle it.”

He sighed heavily and you could see the anger seep into his features as he thought back to what happened. “He called you a ‘fucking tease,’ and he said that he would’ve liked to have been able to say that he fucked ‘Hiddleston’s whore.’ And then, I don’t know, my anger just took over, I guess. I punched him and then he punched me back before he realized it was me. Once he did he ran off.”

“‘Hiddleston’s whore?’ Do you think he knows we’re fucking?”

“That’s your takeaway from this??”

“What do you want me to say? As flattered as I am that you would punch someone to defend my honor, it was still an incredibly stupid thing to do.”

“I know. I wasn’t thinking.” 

You finished his knuckles and moved the bag of ice from his face to his hand, so you could begin to clean his cheek. “I’m just glad this is the extent of your injuries. He could have given you a concussion.”

“Do my ears deceive me, or are you worrying over me?” he carefully prodded.

“Don’t make a big deal about it,” you warned. “I’m still cross with you.”

“I know. You have every right to be. But I need you to know that I didn’t mean those things I said. 

You kept your eyes on his cheekbone while you mended it with plaster. “Whether you meant them or not, they still hurt.”

“And I hate myself for that. You’re the last person on earth I’d want to hurt.”

You looked at him skeptically. “What about your mum?”

“Okay, you’re the second to last person on earth I’d want to hurt,” he corrected.

“What about your sisters?”

“Are you kidding? We tortured each other growing up. You’re still second.” He smiled at you and though you tried your hardest not to, your lips still curled into a small smirk while you rolled your eyes at him. 

Once the plaster was set, you took out some foundation and a blending sponge to cover up his injuries as best you could. 

“Ow,” he winced and pulled away when you began tapping the foundation into his bruised cheekbone.

“Oh hush, you big baby,” you told him, cradling the side of his face and neck to keep him from moving. The two of you were quiet for a moment as you continued to blend the foundation on his face. You kept your eyes on your blending sponge, but his eyes stayed on you. His gaze darted between your eyes and your lips, his eyebrows slanted upward and inward ever so slightly. You’d seen that expression many times before. “Stop that.”

“Stop what?”

“Making that face.”

“I’m not making a face.”

“Yes you are. It’s the face you make whenever you want to kiss me.”

“I do want to kiss you.”

You paused, looking at him briefly before bringing your attention back to your sponge. “It’s not that easy, Casanova.”

“Very well,” he said, his grin never faltering. Suddenly the speakers in his trailer came alive with the sound of an electric guitar strumming in an upbeat rhythm, making you jump. You looked down to find Tom’s phone in his hand, having just pressed play on the song “If I Could Turn Back Time.” When you looked back up at Tom, he was swaying his shoulders to the beat and singing along with Cher.

“If I could turn back time,” he sang, his eyes locked on yours..

Your wary gaze followed him as he stood up. “What are you doing?” 

“If I could find a way,”

“Thomas…”

“I’d take back those words that have hurt you, and you’d stay.”

Listening to the lyrics, his intentions dawned on you. “Oh, you think you’re clever now, don’t you?”

In lieu of an answer, Tom simply winked at you as he serenaded you through the first verse. You glared at him while you bit your lip to stop from smiling. “I don't know why I did the things I did, I don't know why I said the things I said, pride's like a knife, it can cut deep inside, words are like weapons, they wound sometimes.” You almost broke during the pre-chorus when he fell to his knees in front of you and made like he was begging for your forgiveness while he sang, “I didn't really mean to hurt you, I didn't wanna see you go, I know I made you cry, but baby, if I could turn back time…” As he went back into the chorus, he stood back up and reached his hand out to you as an invitation to dance with him. 

You shook your head. “Oh no. Absolutely not.”

Still singing, he ignored your objection, grabbing your hand and pulling you up out of your seat. 

“No no no no no,” you protested in rapid fire succession as you were lifted onto your feet.

He wrapped one arm around your waist and with the other he took your hand in his. After rocking with you back and forth to the rhythm, he spun you around and dipped you, an impressive feat in his small trailer. By that point you couldn’t hold back your smile any longer. In fact, you found yourself giggling uncontrollably. “If I could reach the stars, I’d give ‘em all to you, then you’d love me, love me, like you used to do.”  The two of you danced and sang and giggled through the entire remainder of the song, each of you trying out your best Cher impressions and laughing even harder in turn. It was silly, and uninhibited, and by far the most fun you’d ever had. It made you realize how lucky you were that you had the privilege of seeing this side of him, away from cameras, and press, and fans, where he could completely and totally be himself. You didn’t understand why, of all people, he felt comfortable enough to share that part of himself with you, but you did know without a doubt that you felt just as comfortable with him. 

As the music began to fade, Tom spun you out one last time and then spun you back into his arms and held you close, your heaving chests flush against each other while your lips were mere centimeters apart.

“You make it incredibly difficult to stay angry with you, you know that?” you told him breathlessly. 

He let out a small chuckle, and then looked down at your mouth like it was water and he was dying of thirst. Slowly, cautiously, he brought his lips to yours. He kissed you with a softness you hadn’t felt from him before. It was tender yet deliberate. You reciprocated with the same gentle affection, savoring it for as long as you could until you were startled by a knock on the door, causing you both to pull away abruptly. 

“Mr. Hiddleston?” came Trevor’s voice from outside.

Fucking Trevor, you thought. 

“Yeah,” Tom called, looking and sounding as if he’d just woken up from a dream.

“They’re waiting for you on set, mate.” Trevor said.

Tom sighed. “Be right there!” You looked at each other with cheeky grins on your faces until you were sure Trevor had gone, at which point you both burst out giggling again. When you settled down, he put a hand on your waist. “Thank you for patching me up.”

“Nevermind. Just promise me you won’t go round punching anyone else for me.”

“I’m afraid I can’t make that promise.”

“Well, try. You’ve made my job hard enough as it is now I’ve got these cuts and bruises to cover up for the next week.”

“I’ll do my best,” he replied with a chuckle. He kissed your forehead and headed for the door, turning back to you once he’d reached it. “See you out there, yeah?”

“It’s my job, isn’t it?” you teased him.

“And maybe you can come over after?” he suggested hopefully. 

“Don’t push your luck, stud,” you replied, but there was no hiding the uncontrollable grin on your face. 

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