#off season 22/23

[milflewis]

why is he giving wattpad ceo/mafia boss/ lawyer and why is it working for him (x)

[cosmogyros]

[darkwood-sleddog]

Nice little run with the doggies today. Had to navigate a lot of stuff on my own because of the trail conditions (warm and slushy and awful) and it really helped get my confidence back. Dogs were really well behaved and with such a weird weather winter every day I get on the sled is to be celebrated and savored.

[thejasminechronicles]

Lando at Nela restaurant in Amsterdam (11 Dec 22)

Pic from sirzeta on Instagram

[crystaldeclear]

Cannot wait for the Xhaka screamer in the second half where he takes off his jersey to reveal a "why always me?" shirt underneath a la Balotelli

[therealjosephcranor]

It is Embarrassing that My Adventures With Superman is only 10 episodes long considering I have already rewatched the whole series all the way through like 3 times

[remedy7411]

The earliest that I could see the Sabres play without having to fly is April. Idk how I feel about this… like I know I can watch them on tv and fly to Buffalo if I really want too, I didn’t get it would be APRIL before they played in Dallas… which is soooo long away.

[lost-in-the-pink-mist]

"Lol" <- our Raph, the youngest and just barely old enough to drink by American standards

Greetings from the Speakeasy! :D

eventually he'll suck it up and drink some apple juice or smth

@tmntaucompetition

[the-dumpster-fire-of-life]

if it's okay, can i please request something for arcane? vi with a gf who nicknames her "peaches" and vi thinks it's sweet until she realises it's a references to her HOLY MOLY D U M P T R U C K HOOOO BOY of an ass

Requests for arcane are back once more with season two trailer dropping!!!

Big Booty Reader

It’s very funny if you thought she wasn’t gonna touch your butt bro

Vi was in prison since she was 15, and now she’s like 22-23

She has NEVER had a girlfriend before

Much less one as beautiful and big bootied as you

Is she supposed to NOT touch that every chance she gets?

The nickname peaches probably started off as some joke when she saw the emoji being used to reference butts

And since you have a very big butt, it’s perfect!

Until it became her practical and everyday name for you

If you thought it was cute, light hearted and nice, she did not have the heart to tell you that it stemmed from your ass

Cause you probably thought it was because you’re sweet or something of that nature

Nope! It’s ya butt

You’d have to pry it out of her, or figure t out yourself by putting two and two together

You were probably very peeved, but still she does not stop calling you peaches

Cause still she does love the nickname even if it’s of your butt

And god does she love your ass

She loves holding it, touching it, smacking it, laying on it or just watching it bro

She love love loves how it looks in outfits

Especially skirts or jeans or short shorts

She just loves how she can see small peeks of it

She loves having a hand on your ass

And copping feels when nobody is looking

Even when someone is looking she probably doesn’t care

She can’t resist!

Even when y’all are laying down she has a hand on it, squeezing it every now and then

It’s her guilty pleasure at this point guys

She’s never had a girlfriend before, and never will stop

Is she supposed to not touch you or something?

She worked to bag you, let her have her moment!

[larriescompass]

ways to dispel gay rumors, according to louis tomlinson and harry styles:

1. write a love song, and include the place where you and your enemy lived together.

2. constantly walk away from your at the time girlfriend of nine years.

3. struggle to hold hands with and kiss your at the time girlfriend of several years.

4. repeatedly say ‘no’ when asked if you and your girlfriend are engaged.

5. but do say, ‘it’s confidential, but we’re already engaged,’ when asked when you are gonna propose to your best mate.

6. say you have a crush on your best mate, and that you’ve discussed it and say that it’s mutual.

7. when asked if the rumor is true, smile fondly and say yes.

8. when your best mate is talking about finding someone they would want to date, cough really obviously and loudly.

9. choose to play a song on your tour, where the first word has major involvement with the rumor.

10. when asked about the rumor, turn into a horse.

11. deny the rumor while emphasizing the word ‘obviously’ and MAKE SURE to be very sarcastic.

12. dress up rainbow bears on stage that represent gay artists.

13. dress up said rainbow bears in wedding outfits on stage with a picture positioned in front of it of a man named larry, while signing the photo with the words “love, larry.”

14. when you see something involving the rumor, give it a thumbs up!

15. get matching tattoos.

16. go to amsterdam with your wonderful girlfriend at the time, then come back and write a song where the first line is, “i went to amsterdam without you,”

17. having to adjust your pants because your best mate’s shirt popped open.

18. when your “mate” asks to give you a blowjob, respond with “i’d love it, if you’d just wait.”

19. when asked about your favorite traits in a female, say “not that important” about the person being a female.

20. look depressed whenever someone mentions your child.

21. cover a song where the main objective of the song is to be the girl just so you could be with the guy.

22. get a tattoo that you know people will link to the person involving the rumor.

23. dress up as queer idols for halloween.

24. go to gay bars.

25. bring your girlfriends to gay bars.

26. cook a meal for your girlfriend even though you didn’t even know her when you cooked it, and she was vegan at that time.

27. make a dopey fonding face while you’re staring at your best mate.

28. sexually tease each other on stage.

29. while your best mate is hyping himself up and says while referring to himself, “that’s just sex on legs,” agree and say, “yeah it is,” while giving him love eyes.

30. at your solo concert, point to a replica of the rainbow bear in the crowd that you and your best mate dressed up on stage.

31. change the lyrics of your song from “i love it” to “i love him.”

32. you must wear a vintage umbro t shirt that is very rare, and make sure to have your best mate show up wearing the same vintage rare umbro shirt just a few months later.

33. go completely MIA while your best mate has his off season, and pop back up in public when he goes back on tour.

34. host your own festival and have an artist with a song named “you’re not harry styles” perform during it.

35. consistently use colored lights that are heavily associated with the rumor during your concerts.

36. use art of your “totally platonic” friend’s tattoo for the spotify background of one of your songs.

37. do a photoshoot with clothes from a gay clothing brand that dates back to the fifties.

38. go to the same euros game and make sure to be seen in the same room together.

39. bite your best mate’s back after you deny the gay rumors.

40. look at your best mate and sing “i’m in love with lou, and all his little things” in a totally normal and platonic way.

[moonlight-records]

mr. & mrs. 'surprise couple' | LS2 (sm au!)

pairing: logan sargeant x reader

summary: logan and his partner decide to hard launch their relationship as casually as possible during a week break

warning: cursing, fluff, suggestive language, some dirty talking ig?? (18+, minors DNI), not proofread soo have fun

FC: @/desreii on instagram

a/n: with logan's new website / app making me delulu, this is for all the logan girlies, guys, and ppl!! (this inclusdes myself), honestly it came to me late one night and i only worked on it half asleep sooooo strap in!! also, i opened a ko-fi for tips! please buy me a coffee if you want!

part one | part two

logansargeant tagged yourusername

liked by yourusername, alex_albon, oscarpisatri and 50,205 others

logansargeant happy one year to my other half 🩵 thank you for making this year unforgettable, here's the many more with you ❤️

view all 48,045 comments

landonorris HELLO???

user20 OMG OMG OMG LOGAN'S DATING SOMEONE???

alex_albon THATS MY FAVORITE COUPLE!! YESSSS

landonorris YOU KNEW???

carlossainz55 this is a very interesting development

user52 HELLO??? OMG THIS IS THE BEST DAY EVER

user48 LOOOOGAN!! DROP THE PARTNER AND OUR LIVES ARE YOUR!!!

oscarpiastri the best couple i know 🧡

logansargeant thank you 🩵 ↳ yourusername gay! oscarpiastri, alex_albon, and logansargeant liked this comment

yourusername the way imma ride you into the next anniversary oooo baby--

landonorris @ yourusername IS THIS THE MYSTERIOUS PARTNER?? OMG????

logansargenat BABE ↳ yourusername it's true!

alex_albon Y/N?!!! OH MY GOOOOD ↳ yourusername OMG HEY BESTIE!!! are you proud that i made an instagram???!! ↳ alex_albon I AM BUT WTF WAS THAT COMMENT???!!! Also, maybe you'll answer my messages here!! ↳ yourusername blocked actually!! :)

user52 OMG OMG OMG!!

user48 HOLY SHIIIIIT THEY CAME IN SWINGING AHAHAH

user20 WOWOWOWOW THEY ARE MAKING IT KNOWN HE'S OFF THE MARKET

user204 they just made an instagram? oh we bout to watch the best era ever!! 😍

oscarpiastri all over this for sushi? ↳ yourusername damn right ↳ oscarpiastri as unhinged as always ↳ yourusername you love it 😘

yourusername

liked by yourbestfriend, logansargeant, oscarpiastri, and 204,503 others

yourusername it's silly season fr 😮‍💨

view all 129,204 comments

user48 OH MY GOD, STUNNING. AN ICON. OTHER WORDLY

yourbestfriend THAT'S MY LIFE PARTNER!! HOTTIE ALERT 🚨🥵

yourusername wifey!!! stoooop 🤭

↳ logansargeant that OUR life partner. ↳ yourbestfriend NO BACK OFF UGH I WAS HERE FIRST!!! ↳ logansargeant i'll buy you coffee for two weeks anytime you want. no questions asked ↳ yourbestfriend @ yourusername if you ever breakup with him istg i'll hurt you ↳ yourusername RUDE???

logansargeant i am the luckiest man ever, truly 😍

↳ yourusername oh please.

user33 ALT PARTNER ALT PARTNER ALT PARTNER

user505 HELLOOOOO

user293 LOGAN IS SUCH A LUCKY, LUCKY MAN

alex_albon lily asked if logan can fight

oscarpiastri my lily also asked that ↳ yourusername good thing i got two hands 😇

logansargeant too bad one hand is more me, guess they'll have to fight each other. alex and oscar y'all are gonna have to fight in place of your girlfriends ↳ yourusername B a b e ↳ alex_albon it's on sight next week ↳ oscarpiastri hotel lobby at 22:00. drinks at 23:00 ↳ alex_albon bet ↳ logansargeant deal

yourusername

liked by logansargeant, alex_albon, landonorris, and 304,503

yourusername guys remember, it's important to eat three meals a day!

view all 230,249 comments

alex_albon Y/N. OH MY GOD????

yourusername what?? it's a good reminder!! ↳ alex_albon YOU FUCKIN HEATHEN OH MY GOOOOD ↳ yourusername still confused on what's the issue!

user205 AYOOOOOOOOO????

user29 HELP ME IM SCREAMING!!! ON MAIN?!

landonorris WOOOOAH!! WHEN DID THIS BECOME A WHORE HOUSE???

oscarpiastri it's always been a whore house with these two ↳ yourusername THIS IS SLANDER!!! HE LIES!!! IM INNOCENT!!!

user49 welllllll who can really name y/n?

user204 TRUE

user50 YUP

logansargeant i think you forgot to eat lunch today...

yourusername on my way right now 😇

alex_albon NO. HEATHEN!!! STAY AWAY!! I NEED HIM FOR THE PODCAST ↳ logansargeant alex hurry up and let's film this please--

oscarpiastri god please nobody wants to hear you two

yourusername your just mad you can't join, it's okay maybe next time 😘 ↳ user205 AYOOOOOO ↳ user46 GOD DAMN ↳ landonorris i will gladly take his spot instead-- ↳ logansargeant nope!

yourusername posted a story

↳ alex_albon BESTIE!!!! LOOK AT YOU!!!!

yourusername THANK YOOOU!!! alex_albon cannot wait to see you at the race!! yourusername me either!!! it'll be a bestie reuion!!

↳ lilymhe HOTTIE HOTTIE HOTTIE!!! 🥵😍

yourusername LILLLLLY STOOOOP 🤭 i hope alex can fight!! 😘 lilymhe he can't so easy win 🥇 yourusername LETS GO!! 💪

↳ oscarpiastri i like the pink, you're gonna keep it longer for a few days??

yourusername hopefully! i like the pink but idk if im feeling it rn oscarpiastri well i think it's nice but i say natural hair for your first paddock appearance yourusername maybe 🤔 thinkin bout it still but thanks you

↳ charlesleclerc the makeup? the hair? the pose? please tell me you're blessing the paddock with your beauty

yourusername oh don't worry, i will! i'm excited to meet you! charlesleclerc you as well!

↳ landonorris GOD DAMN TRYIN TO KILL A MAN WITH THE LOOKS!!

yourusername that's the plan!

↳ logansargeant are you tired from running through my mind all day baby?

yourusername babe that was a horrible logansargeant you loved it, don't lie yourusername i did but still really bad logansargeant it's fine i'll just slip between your thighs when i get home to make it up to you 😉 yourusername LOGAN HUNTER SARGEANT! logansargeant what? do you not want me between your thighs when i get home? i was gonna just drop to my knees and flick that dress up so, no real reason to wear panties btw yourusername i-- logansargeant please? pretty please? babe look at you--what am i suppose to do? not drop to my knees and let you use me how you want?? yourusername you should come home. like right now logansargeant already out the door.

logansargeant

liked by yourusername, oscarpiastri, landonorris, yourbestfriend and 640,593 others

logansargeant great way to end the week break! next up, miami!

view all 302,503 comments

user20 LOGAN WIN, MANIFESTING!!!

user49 god damn y/n is sooo pretty it's unfair 😩 comment liked by logansargeant

alex_albon can't believe i lost to you in golf still

↳ yourusername you lost to EVERYONE in golf ↳ alex_albon lily doesn't count ↳ yourusername no duh, lily's a professional of course she doesn't count!!

user492 THE LAST PIC??? HELLOOO???

user5 i knooow 🤤

user24 no right to be that fINE!! ↳ yourusername i keep telling him that ↳ user24 OMG HI HELLO SKPINOWJNGFION

yourbestfriend USA!! USA!! USA!!

yourusername USA!! USA!! USA ↳ logansargeant 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 RED WHITE AND BLUE

yourusername omg that's my MAAAAN!!! 😍 those swim trunks look heavy let me hold them up for you--

logansargeant babe ↳ yourusername and tight. i could help take them off 👀 ↳ logansargeant please 😩 ↳ alex_albon GOD MY EYES!!!

yourusername

liked by logansargeant, alex_albon, oscarpiastri, yourbestfriend, and 492,530 others

yourusername petition to be f1's new goth icon

comments on this post have been limited

logansargeant or just mine. mine works too

yourusername that was a given ↳ logansargeant thank god--still. step on me, please--

alex_albon as long as you promise to walk logan back to the garage, deal

yourusername just got you bestie

oscarpiastri nobody else is gonna take the title

yourusername now they can take it from my cold dead hands

logansargeant do you need a dog? i can bark

yourusername BABE WHY DID YOU COMMENT TWICE? LMAO??? ↳ logansargeant had to make sure i had your attention ↳ yourusername velcro boyfriend fr. come lets cuddle ↳ logansargeant YES

[darkwood-sleddog]

Run today was interesting….saw a musher friend at the trailhead and my dogs were so hyped. My ratchet didn’t hold them in place (whoops), but they kept their line out and had a nice start in front of everybody. First mile was great, the rest….dogs weren’t feeling it, boys especially were moody and two incidents of filing complaints against each other, no contact or tangles thank goodness, but the team was tense so we turned around and did half of our anticipated mileage and still finished with a nice 8 km. They finished pretty well but Mr. D bikejored slash into the last mile because he was not keeping his line tight and was very looky at Sigurd.

There will be all the time in the world to do long mileage, but ruin a dog’s trust in you to keep things fun and you’ll never get that back.

[thejasminechronicles]

Vacation-Pato is an absolute vibe

[snailsagere]

Please read my dni in my bio before interacting

30 days of agere moodboards!

This is for anyone who makes anything agere related! You can make stimboards, outfits even storygames! You could even draw these prompts or take pictures related to the themes! Just have fun with it! :3

1) based off yourself

2) Babyre themed (1-3)

3) your favourite stuffie, or your most recent stuffie if you don't want to pick favourites

4) your favourite colour/colours

5) your favourite holiday

6) your least favourite colour/colours

7) kidre themed (4-9)

8) your favourite animal

9) pastel colours

10) your favourite book (can be a kids book or big kid book)

11) your favourite toy

12) your favourite snack or drink

13) your favourite agere activity

14) teenre/older kidre themed (10+)

15) birthday themed

16) your favourite fashion style/aesthetic

17) bright colours

18) based on your cg or dream cg (if you don't want a cg you can use this as a free space)

19) your favourite video game/boardgame

20) your favourite cartoon or movie character

21) your favourite season

22) dark colours

23) your favourite ice cream flavour or favourite sweets

24) dinosaurs or unicorns theme (or both)

25) your favourite sanrio character, if you don't like sanrio just make it cat themed

26) beige colours

27) your favourite cartoon/movie

28) your favourite Disney princess/Disney character if you don't like princesses (if you don't like Disney at all make it themed off prince and princesses in general)

29) your favourite weather

30) bedtime themed

[paddockbunny]

Fraternisation Clause

Summary : Working for McLaren is hard, being Lando’s PR girl is even harder….so maybe you need to make a tough decision that will be even harder yet Rating : 16+ Pairing: Lando x Reader Word Count : 1474 words Trigger Warnings : language but clean Images : curated from Pintrest Authors Note : there are probably a few bits in here that aren’t exactly how things are in the actual paddock / McLaren hierarchy so just ignore it and take it for the work of fiction it is ☺️

Abu Dhabi ‘23

It was time to go. You knew that. Everything you could accomplish in your role, you had. The opportunity being offered to you was too great to pass up and if you were honest the move truly excited (and somewhat scared) you. But, it was a step up the ladder and it was a ladder that you really wanted to climb. As you swiped your credentials on the paddock barriers you saw your colleagues and friends awaiting you. Leaving them all behind was exceptionally tough as really, you had all become a little family. You enjoyed pizza nights, drunken karaoke, practical jokes and laughter and tears with them during your four year tenure. As they looked at you with a mixture of smiles and pouting lips it really hit you how tough it was to be leaving and even worse how you wouldn’t be a part of the gang anymore. For twenty four weeks of the year you guys were going to be in the exact same place and yet not be as close anymore. It was such a bittersweet feeling. But, you remembered as some of your new team mates walked past in their crisp white shirts, when Mercedes come a calling, you answer the call.

The night sky was illuminated by an array of bright explosions of colour as fireworks crescendoed overhead. You were already down awaiting Lando to begin media duties so couldn’t really engage in the end of session celebrations like you would have liked. But still it was nice to imagine the pretty illuminations overhead were all for you.

As you waited for Lando to be weighed and take his helmet and balaclava off you couldn’t help but smile. He finished P5 and P7 in the overall standings. An excellent effort and he could be extremely proud he equalled himself for the previous 22 season - considering how tough the car had been, it was fantastic. It had been a long, sometimes stressful, crazy ride being Lando Norris’ PR officer but you would be lying if you said you hadn’t enjoyed every single last millisecond of it. At the start you had an immature, slightly naive guy who matured into a funny, charismatic, caring man. You smirked knowing it couldn’t have been easy for him working with you at the start either. You weren’t as regimented as you had become and he was often late, missing caps or passes, he even got fined for being late to the national anthem ceremony once because you forgot to fetch him, but you were fresh out of university and learning right along side him. It was a baptism of fire and you loved it. And honestly, you couldn’t have imagined anyone else being your F1 virginity stealer.

However, as you waited for him and reminisced you felt overcome by a horrible sadness. See you thought Lando would have been happy for you to move on and be promoted - go on to bigger better things - but he wasn’t. After accepting Mercedes offer and putting in your formal notice, Lando was the first person you told and boy, it did go well. He immedietly told you you were doing the wrong thing and joining Mercedes wasn’t the right move. He passionately attempted to deter you from moving and even got angry when you tried to calm him down. You had never before seen Lando upset like what he was that night - sure during a race or whatnot but that was because he was competitive - So it was totally unexpected. He asked if it were the pay making you leave and even offered to pay you more from his own wages (which insulted you). He asked if you were being forced out, if something had happened with another member of the team (which it hadn’t). Then he asked if it was because you didn’t want to work with him anymore and it caught somewhere in your throat.

If this had been ‘22 you would haven’t hesitated to laugh at the insinuation and make a quip about him being cocksure of himself. But it wasn’t. It was the end of 2023 and you knew yourself things had shifted between the pair of you. In the past 12 months Lando and you had come close to blurring the professional lines and you were able to realise how dangerous that truly was. Nothing had ever happened that could have been considered inappropriate but you couldn’t be one hundred percent you didn’t want it too. And that was what scared you. McLaren had an employee fraternisation clause which clearly stated that employees could not carry out romantic or sexual relationships between other employees particularly those where one employee is in a higher up position. And it didn’t take the brain of Britain to know Lando was their “star” and you were just another foot soldier. There was no way they would keep you over their superstar driver. And besides, it was known amongst the PR team that Lando had a little thing for you as way back as 2020 when you first started working with him but you had always laughed it off, rolled you eyes and played it down.

“He’s just a kid, don’t be daft” you would be heard quipping back. But for some reason, after the prior year, you spend the season pretending you didn’t know he was staring at you, that he was making you laugh on purpose, that he was finding any reason to touch you, be close to you and even invite you to things without anyone else from the team being there. You knew it would only be a matter of time before Lando would try to move things in a different direction - in particular, you knew he would do something stupid like try and kiss you and you would do something even more stupid and kiss him back.

So you walked away. You took the call and accepted the Mercedes offer of becoming a PR Manager (instead of PR officer). You had thought about it at length, toiled over it. And while you knew he might not understand why, you thought he would still be happy for you. You hadn’t expected the attitude he had shown to you over the course of the past three races. The silence, the grunting for responses, not even looking at you as you were talking to him.

You looked up to find him almost in front of you as the fireworks continued overhead. He held out his hand for his water bottle and little bag full of promotional bracelets and watch. “Well done, it’s been a good year.” You tried to tell him but he either didn’t hear you from the loud bangs and the start of the podium celebrations or he was deliberately ignoring you. You swallowed, wishing this was all different. You really could do with a Lando hug right now but as you started off toward the media pen, neither of you said a word to each other. And then after media he announced he had a plane waiting so he wouldn’t be hanging around. You wanted to remind him you were leaving and it was your last day so it would mean a lot if he could hang around for just 10 minutes but before you could muster up the courage to do it, he ducked into his drivers room while you were busy on a call and that was it. You looked for him to say goodbye (at bare minimum) and wish him a happy holidays but he was gone. He didn’t care. He didn’t even want to be your friend anymore.

Things were being wrapped up. Everyone was excited to get going. People wanted to party, celebrate the end of another year. They wanted to call their families and say they would be home soon and make plans for their time off. So when you walked into the McLaren hospitality suite to a riotous round of applause and hollering you were left a gasp and the tears started flowing. You hadn’t expected anyone outside of your small little trackside PR team to care you were off, but that was downright idiotic to think they would let you slink off. That wasn’t McLarens style. But still you didn’t expect all the hullabaloo. The room was packed with different people across each discipline. The mechanics you knew were there, the strat guys, chefs from the kitchens, office folk and even Zak was standing front and centre. So many people across the whole garage came to say goodbye. There was a cake and a “Bon voyage” banner. Your smile erupted across your face as your friends came rushing toward you to engulf you in a huge hug. The earlier sadness due to your strained friendship with Lando was pushed straight to the back of your mind. Right now, you felt special. You felt loved.

You couldn’t help but wish Lando was here too. You wished he had stayed to say goodbye.

[ohbueckers]

TWO CAN PLAY THAT GAME. i’m not scared of it, she ain’t either.

CHAPTER SIX! pairing, paige bueckers x teammate!oc. notes, hey… writers block got my ass but i’m backkk. decided this fic will be split into two separate parts (ish) the 22-23 season is mostly just lore filling but hopefully still enjoyable, and then the second will be 23-24. enjoy sugarsss warnings, sexual content.

october, 2022

“shots on me!”

my head shoots up to find the source of the sound, and of course, it’s paige. she’s basking in the sudden attention so well you’d be surprised that we had to convince her to come. the whole table cheers like it’s the greatest news they’ve heard all night, and i watch, a faint smile on my face as she strolls over to the bar, keeping her promise.

i lean back in my chair, adjusting my neck that had just been previously broken to look back at her. i glance over at the propped up phone in front of ice, the tiktok livestream running with a small handful of views climbing by the minute. i grin, dramatic, before draping both of my arms over ice’s shoulders and resting my head against her, leaning into the moment. “guys, pour one up for isuneh staying responsible tonight!” i joke, exaggerating my voice.

ice laughs, nudging me with her elbow but not enough to push me off. “you gotta chill,” she says, turning slightly toward the camera with a smirk. “you see what i have to deal with? sana thinks she’s funny.”

i glare at her, playfully removing my arms from around her. “know so,” i retort.

before i can settle back into the noise of the room, nika and aubrey have made their way over, and are now fully invested in entertaining the growing comments. they start playing it up, making faces and gesturing wildly at the camera while ice chuckles, leaning into it all. sober or not, it was really easy to have a good time with this team.

i let myself sink into my own world for a moment, head spinning just slightly as i pull out my phone again, this time to stare at the birthday post i’d put up for paige earlier. i didn’t want to stare at it, but it had been getting a lot of traction. the first slide is a video from one of our late-night sessions at the gym—a grainy shot of paige casually sinking a full-court shot, her back to the camera. she’d turned around just in time to see the ball swish clean through the net, flashing that smug smile she always gave when she knew she was about to show off. it was late, maybe around midnight, and i remember being just tired enough to think i might’ve imagined it if i hadn’t caught it on film.

when the video ended, my other post appeared. it was a photo from the first official day of practice earlier in october that the media team had took and posted. paige, clad in her #5 workout tee had my head snuggled in between her arms, smiling wide as ever, while i on the other hand had one hand wrapped around her torso, the other on my side, smiling all picture-perfect.

a great resemblance of our dynamic if you asked me.

the caption had been simple enough. happy birthday to this blonde lady i found. backcourt next year will go braaazzzy 🏆. i didn’t think much of it, really, but the more i thought about it, the more insane it must’ve looked that sana caruso was now all buddy-buddy with paige bueckers.

not acquainted, friends.

i smiled at it for another beat before locking my phone, leaning back against the chair with a sigh. i’d been distant most of the night, i suppose. practice earlier hadn’t exactly gone the way i wanted it to, and it was messing with me. paige might’ve been injured, but i was starting, and expectations were high—higher than usual this season, which i hadn’t completely came to terms with yet, and i needed to. soon.

“sana, you’re going to be a huge part of this team this year. we need you to step up—not just as a scorer, but as a leader.” geno’s voice was gruff, his eyes on mine. “you’ve got it in you, but you’ve been holding back. let’s see the player we recruited. the one we know you are.”

sure it wasn’t meant to be much more than a pep talk, but i’m way too much of an over thinker for words like those not to stick. i have been holding back. i do need to step up for a team that had just become mine.

lost in that thought, i didn’t notice paige approaching until a shot glass slid in front of me, barely stopping before it hit my hand.

“i meant you too, ruso,” she said, a sly grin spreading across her face as she leaned in, making sure i knew she was talking to me.

i grinned at her, realizing i hadn’t been drinking as much as the others tonight. not that it was a bad thing—after practice earlier, i needed to keep my head straight—but then again, this was paige’s birthday. maybe it was time to let loose a little, and paige was good at that.

“what is it?” i asked, lifting the glass to my lips and tipping it back easily before getting an answer.

much to my dismay, i probably should’ve waited for paige’s response. vodka. i coughed lightly as the burn hit, squeezing my eyes shut for a second as the heat rushed through me. of course, she’d pick the strongest thing on the menu. i should’ve known better.

paige laughed, eyes following mine as she watched me recover. “you good, ma? thought you could hang with me.”

i shook my head, glaring at her. “i can hang. just didn’t expect gasoline.”

she leaned in closer, her breath warm against my neck. “that’s the point. birthday girl gets the good stuff.” i can feel her eyes on me, following my movements as she pipes up, “why you been wall sittin’ all night?”

i chuckle, looking up at her taller figure through my lashes. only for a moment though. my attention drifted back to the empty shot glass in front of me, twirling it absentmindedly between my fingers. “don’t worry about me,” i shoo her playfully. “my phone’s been blowing up, though. let’s talk about that,” i then state simply, raising an eyebrow.

paige smiles smugly, letting out a breathy laugh. “you know they eat that shit up.”

i smile, too—shaking my head. “yeah, maybe. or they just like you too much.”

paige grabs hold of the shot glass, forcing my attention to advert to her. “you like me too much.”

our eyes met, and i caught how she sized me up. her blue eyes were dangerously low, almost hungry. the heat from the vodka wasn’t just in my throat anymore; it was creeping up my neck, and i didn’t know if it was from the alcohol or from the way paige was watching me. her tongue darted out, swiping across her lips, and i needed to get out of this chair.

like, now.

i swallowed—not visibly as i pushed past the sudden tension and mumbled, “c’mon.” i motioned toward the bar. paige smirked, lips glistening from her spit as she held her hand out for me to take, and i hesitated for just a second before sliding my hand into hers.

she helped me down from the bar stool easily, her opposite steadying me, and then we were strolling over together, her fingers still loosely wrapped around mine. it was so normal, like it didn’t mean anything, but we both knew it did.

we strolled over to the bar, and paige was quick to order another round. things felt relatively normal at first, just the two of us, but only got worse after every shot. i’d even taught paige that the real culprit for a night like this wasn’t vodka but tequila. naturally, she’d laughed me off, but the alcohol in my bloodstream had me ordering a mojito, daring her to try it. paige, never one to back down from a challenge, grabbed the glass from my hand before i could even take a sip.

“you’ve been over here way too long,” i said, my voice lower now, the words slipping out with a hint of something i couldn’t quite control. i leaned against the bar, chin propped up in my hand. “it’s your birthday.”

paige raised a brow. her back was against the bar, her eyes flashing as she looked ahead, shrugging. “i’m exactly where i wanna be.”

i licked my lips. “right. and that’s stuck over here with me?” i shouldn’t have asked. i knew the answer.

paige turned toward me, leaning one arm against the counter, her body now fully angled in my direction. “yeah, somethin’ like that. that a problem?”

her gaze dropped to my lips for a second, just long enough to make me forget how to breathe properly. i shifted, trying to keep cool, but she was too damn close now. “guess not,” i muttered.

“good,” she murmured back immediately, her lips curving into that half-smile. there was this constant back and forth between us—like some game of who would have the upper hand of the day, and right now, it was paige. it was all paige.

her eyes flicked down again, and i internally wanted to curse at her. my throat tightened—but i couldn’t look away. “paige—“ i started, and my voice was barely there.

“yeah?” she asked, eyes still locked on me. every inch of her body screamed focus, intent.

“we should regroup.” i nodded towards our teammates, but paige was stilled.

“right.”

i swallowed hard, knowing exactly where this was headed, feeling the pull in the pit of my stomach. “we can’t do this here,” i whispered, a last-ditch effort to keep my head straight as i began chewing on my bottom lip. we were even closer now, and i couldn’t comprehend when that had happened either.

paige smirked, tilting her head and blinking slowly. the gold chain that sat so nicely on her chest swung slightly as she shifted her weight. my mind was racing, trying to remind myself of all the reasons why this was a bad idea—why i shouldn’t, why we couldn’t. “why not?”

i swallowed. my throat was dry. “people. the team.”

paige furrowed her eyebrows, nodding like it was obvious. “oh, yeah. for sure.” but she didn’t budge. and i swore she was moving closer.

before i could stop myself, i sighed out, almost dreamily, like i’d had some pressure built up. “but i wanna.” damn that fucking vodka.

paige nodded, eyes glued to my lips. “mhm? wanna what, ma?”

and before i could come up with a response that was any less desperate than the last to redeem myself, before i could stop myself, i closed the gap.

━━━

her lips were soft. softer than that night in the car if that were possible.

we were stumbling, half-laughing, half-drunkenly colliding down an empty hallway, our hands everywhere and nowhere all at once. my back hit the wall first, and her body pressed into mine, the weight of her against me felt… perfect. sana’s hands were in my hair, pulling slightly, like she absolutely needed to feel me, and i wasn’t about to complain.

i could feel the cool tile behind me, but all that mattered was the heat between us. my hand slid up her neck, fingers resting just under her jaw, and i heard her gasp against my lips. fucking perfect.

“fuck,” i muttered between kisses, my voice a little more breathless than i wanted it to be. “you kiss like you been waitin’ on this.”

she laughed softly, the sound vibrating against my lips. “maybe i have.”

i pulled back just enough to see her eyes, barely able to catch my breath. my hand tightened around her neck as i leaned in again, dragging my lips across hers, speaking right against her skin. her skin was damp, mine too, probably. “you know you could’ve had this whenever you wanted it, baby.”

she didn’t pull back, just let her hands explore the length of my torso. “couldn’t have. you’re you.” sana’s grip on my hips tightened, pulling me flush against her as she pressed her lips back to mine. this time, there was no holding back. the kiss deepened, hungry, like she was making up for all the times she thought she couldn’t. i let her take what she wanted, but damn if i wasn’t right there with her, needing her just as badly.

“bathroom?” i mumbled. my mouth moved to her neck, peppering kisses down her skin, tasting the heat of her pulse.

sana’s breath hitched, and she nodded, her hands gripping the back of my shirt. “bathroom, yeah.”

luckily, it was empty. it was a thursday after all. we barely made it inside before i was hoisting her up, my hands gripping her thighs as she arched on the counter. the brighter light in here felt like a spotlight, like there was no hiding now—not that either of us wanted to. her breath hitched as i moved my mouth lower, kissing down her neck, my fingers sliding into the waistband of her jeans and hastily pulling them down.

i dropped to my knees without warning, and i could feel sana tense under my hands, her breath coming out in quick, shallow bursts as i knelt in front of her. our eyes locked, and i swear i’d never seen a prettier sight. my fingers skimmed up her thighs, spreading them wider, my lips brushing just below her waistband. i didn’t say anything—didn’t need to. her own hands gripped the counter beside her, knuckles turning white, like she was holding herself steady for what was about to come next.

i dipped my head, my mouth meeting her with no more waiting, no teasing. sana’s body jolted, and the sound she made—it sent a jolt straight through me. she tried to stifle it, biting her lip, but there was no hiding how much she wanted this.

her hips shifted forward instinctively, and i didn’t let up, pulling her closer, needing to feel every little reaction i could get. i let her legs drape over my shoulders, my hands gripping her thighs tighter as i took my time—and God, does she taste like a fucking fruit.

i felt her hands in my hair, tugging at the strands, and that’s when i pulled back just enough to speak, my voice low and rough, “had me thinkin’ you were innocent…” i couldn’t help the smirk that tugged at my lips as i dove right back in, the taste of her driving me crazy. “nah… you a freak.”

sana’s breath hitched again as her head fell back against the mirror, eyes squeezing shut. “paige,” she whined out. her expression moved into a laugh as she tugged at my hair a little harder, like she’d just comprehended what i’d said. “shut the fuck up,” she managed, her voice shaky, breaking in the middle like she was losing control.

i chuckled against her, looking up, the vibration of it making her squirm. i didn’t stop. not until she was too far gone to care about anyone else but us.

“yes, ma’am.”

november, 2022

paige bueckers is eye-fucking me from across the room, and i’m not sure how to feel about it.

we’re sitting in the film room, going over footage from yesterday’s home-opener, a complete blowout. 98 to 39. my stats were setting the bar incredibly high for the season, and as much as i hate to admit it, the sex definitely helped. paige helped.

but why did it have to be her?

coach was talking, his voice fading in and out as he pointed at the screen, circling plays and highlighting our best moments, but my mind was elsewhere. i glanced over in her direction, prepared to make some kind of face that would shoo her off, but she was already looking away, pretending to be interested in geno’s lecture. like she hadn’t just been burning holes through me five seconds ago.

instead, i caught nika’s eyes, and she had this mischievous look on her face, one eyebrow quirked as she stuck her tongue out playfully. it was enough to pull a giggle out of me, and i quickly covered my mouth, trying to keep it discreet. nika grinned wider, clearly pleased with herself.

eventually, geno wrapped everything up, and everyone started to head out. either to class, or any other relevant plans, but there was a 99% chance we’d be back in each other’s apartments at some point tonight. perks of getting housing in the exact same complex of your team.

i grabbed my bag, slinging it over my shoulder as i waltzed toward the door. i was ready to get out of there and clear my head, but just as i reached the hallway, i heard footsteps behind me. paige. of course.

“headed somewhere, ruso?” paige’s voice came from just behind me.

i glanced over my shoulder, smirking. “library back on campus to study. what’s your excuse?”

she shrugged, stepping closer, and for a second, i thought she might’ve followed me just for this. “i gotta hit PT a few doors down.”

i glanced down at her knee, but i didn’t say anything. paige didn’t talk about her injury often, but she didn’t have to. her comeback was the only thing that mattered. getting healthy and back on the right track. “right, gotta keep those muscles working,” i replied, playing into that teasing tone she held.

“seeeee, exactly,” she shot back, grinning from ear to ear. “especially since you been keeping me busy. can’t have a repeat of—“

i throw a hand over her mouth, glancing back to make sure no one was behind us. everyone must’ve taken the shorter exit; i was practically walking her to physical therapy at this point.

paige, never one to let an opportunity slide, licked my hand, making me jump back with a startled laugh as she giggled. “paige!” i yelped, immediately wiping her slobber on her own arm, in which she gradually accepted.

a literal kid.

“my bad, go ahead and finish,” she urged.

“we need some rules.” i looked to her, and she didn’t look any bit of phased.

that was before she raised her eyebrows, interest clearly piqued. “that’s necessary?”

i began to chew on my bottom lip. “i mean, i’ve never done this before. and you seem… i don’t know. experienced.”

she laughed, eyes widening in shock, but i swear it was fake. “you tryna call me a slut?”

there was a brief silence, and i met her gaze, unable to suppress a smirk. “if the shoe fits.”

her mouth fell agape, although i wasn’t sure why it was such a surprise. wasn’t she the one practically engaged in hookup culture? “sorry? i don’t think i heard you correctly.”

“if the kobe’s fit, bueckers!” i yelled into her ear.

she pulled back, laughter spilling out of her as she shook her head, clearly caught off guard. “wowww, okay. i see how it is.”

i rolled my eyes at her playfully, struggling to get back on topic. “look, all i’m saying is that if we’re gonna keep doing this,” i continued, “i need to know what’s off-limits.”

“like what?” she pressed.

i thought for a moment, letting her words settle in for a beat. “like, are we keeping it casual? or should i be expecting breakfast in bed after a night of… whatever this is?”

paige chuckled, her eyes flickering to the ground for a moment before she looked back at me. “i mean, i’d love to make you breakfast, but that’s only if you’re willing to stay the night.”

what did that even mean? that’s not fucking casual at all. was she just joking? “maybe i am.” my response was cautious, although my heart was racing a bit at the thought. at least my brain was still quick-witted. “but let’s make sure we’re on the same page first.”

she nodded, a serious expression overtaking her normally playful for just a second. we stopped in front of the PT room, and i glanced inside before giving her a look, indicating that i should probably go.

paige licked her lips, tilting her head up in my direction as she slung the physical therapy door open. “aight, fair enough. i’ll call you later.”