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The tickle of kisses along her bare shoulder woke Paige out of her sleep. Slowly opening her eyes she took in her surroundings. The room was still dark, only a slight sliver of light peeking through the curtains.
“Good morning,” Azzi mumbled against her skin.
“Mmm, morning,” Paige replied sleepily, voice groggy and rough. She turned to face her girlfriend, a smile forming when she looked at her.
“How are you feeling?” Azzi asked her softly, moving her hair in her face away.
“Sore, tired, frustrated,” Paige answered with a shrug. She leaned forward to place a kiss on Azzi’s nose and added with a smirk, “Better than right after the game thanks to you though.”
“Good,” Azzi said with a smile and kissed her fully on the lips.
Paige looked at her when she pulled away, “How are you feeling? How’s the knee?”
“I’ve been better, it just sucks I can’t help you guys,” Azzi tried to shrug the question off.
“Stop, don’t lie to me. You can do that with everyone else, but not me. Remember? I did the same thing and you made me promise I’d always tell you the truth and talk to you. You owe me the same,” Paige told her sternly.
Azzi sighed, “Ok, it hurts and I fucking hate this. It’s so fucking unfair I worked so hard and I felt so good. This keeps happening and I’m so tired.”
Paige pulled her into her body, letting Azzi’s face hide in the junction between her neck and shoulder and rubbing her back. She could feel tears starting to fall against her skin and her heart broke for the girl in her arms. It broke for Azzi, it broke for her team, it broke for herself, and it broke for the two best friends that planned to spend 3 years playing the game they love together. Azzi was right, it wasn’t fair and it was exhausting. Year after year, mentally they were all tired.
The blonde held her girlfriend in her arms and let her cry, hoping she would be able to get it out. She left small kisses on her neck and continued to rub her back while whispering comforting words to her girlfriend. Eventually, Azzi’s cries quieted and the shaking slowed to a stop.
After a few minutes savoring the comfort of being in Paige’s arms, Azzi finally pulled away. Paige wiped the streaks of tears on her face and placed a light kiss on her lips.
“Better?” she asked softly.
Azzi nodded, giving her a small smile, “Thanks. Sorry.”
“Any time and don’t apologize. Your feelings are valid because this does fucking suck,” Paige told her sincerely. “You’re allowed to be sad and upset and you’re allowed to cry. Don’t bottle it up. You can come to me if you need to talk or just have me hold you.”
Azzi looked at her, eyes open and earnest, “Ok.”
“Promise?” Paige asked her, holding out her pinky.
Azzi smiled and locked her picky with Paige’s, “Promise.”
Leaning over their interlaced pinkies, Paige placed a kiss on Azzi’s lips to seal the deal.
“Good, now, why don’t we get ready and go get breakfast. We can sit on the beach and just chill the two of us?”
“Sounds perfect,” Azzi agreed with a bright grin.
Paige placed another kiss on her lips before gesturing her out of the bed, “I’ll call room service and see if we can get stuff set up out there, you start getting ready.”
Once Azzi was fully in the bathroom, Paige rolled over to the phone on the nightstand beside her. Looking at the numbers listed, she decided to call the front desk to see if they’d be able to set up a tray or table of food on the beach for them to enjoy. A short conversation later determined she and Azzi would just need to stop and let the staff know where and who to deliver the food to.
She joined Azzi in the bathroom to do her morning routine once she was satisfied with the plan. Years of staying at each other’s houses and dorms meant a choreographed morning routine that allowed them both to get ready without getting in each other’s way. They took turns using the single sink moving back and forth to let the other have space.
Spitting out the toothpaste in her mouth, Paige turned to Azzi and pulled her into a long kiss, “Mmm, minty! That’s a much better good morning kiss.”
Azzi laughed, “You’re so corny.”
“You love it!” Paige countered.
“Whatever simp,” Azzi rolled her eyes and walked out of the bathroom towards her suitcase. She decided on a bikini under some UConn sweats and tshirt in case they decided to jump in the water after eating to make the most of their time on the island.
She slowly changed, mindful of her knee. Some things were a lot harder with her injury and she was still getting used to having to deal with it again. Once she got her bikini on and was pulling up her sweats, she turned around.
Paige stood leaning against the wall, staring at her. As usual, the point gaurd’s blue eyes shined with evident love for her girlfriend, but the hunger and lust that was also present nearly took Azzi’s breath away. Pushing herself off the wall, Paige walked over to the brunette, trying to grab her hips.
Realizing that they’d never leave the room if she let Paige get to her, Azzi slipped away quickly. She shook her head and reached for her shirt, “Uh uh, behave! I’m hungry and we’re supposed to have a peaceful, wholesome morning.”
“But I’m most peaceful after sex,” Paige whined like a child.
“Well, you should already be peaceful since we had sex for hours last night,” Azzi told her, slipping her head through her shirt.
“You’re no fun,” Paige pouted.
“You’ll live,” Azzi tried to placate her by placing a peck on her lips and pushing her toward her own suitcase to change. “Now change, hurry up.”
She shook her head at her girlfriend’s grumbling as she went back over to the bathroom to fix her hair. By the time she was finished, Paige was dressed and sitting at the foot of one of the beds scrolling on her phone.
“Ready?” Azzi asked her while grabbing her room key and phone.
“Yeah, c’mon,” Paige told her, standing up and taking a hold of Azzi’s hand as she led them out of the hotel room. She swung their hands lightly as they walked down the hall toward the elevator, appreciating this private moment where they could just be.
As they stepped into the elevator and pushed the lobby floor, Paige pulled Azzi into her. She buried her head into Azzi’s neck and inhaled her scent, before placing a soft kiss on her skin and letting her go just as the doors opened.
They walked through the lobby side by side, aware of the people beginning their mornings as well. Paige steered them in the direction of the breakfast restaurant where she gave the hostess her name and relayed the conversation she had with the front desk. Azzi stood off to the side looking at the view as Paige pointed out two empty lounge chairs to the hostess.
The blonde placed her hand on the small of Azzi’s back to lead her to the chairs she pointed out. It was still relatively early so the beach was empty and quiet, perfect for a private morning of relaxation.
Azzi pulled out her phone and opened Instagram to take a picture of the ocean for her story. She quickly posted the picture and began quickly scrolling through her feed.
“Hey,” Paige called to her.
Turning her head to look at her girlfriend, she was met with Paige’s phone taking a picture of her. She instinctively smiled as Paige continued to take more pictures of her.
“Come here,” Paige ordered, holding her hand out. Azzi grabbed her hand and crossed the small space between their beach chairs to sit next to Paige.
Turning her back to the water, Paige held her phone out to take a selfie of them, “Smile!”
Azzi leaned over Paige’s right shoulder, as Paige quickly took multiple pictures to look at later. Then, Paige turned her head and placed a kiss on Azzi’s lips while still clicking the camera button on her phone.
When Paige pulled away and lowered her phone she smiled at her girlfriend, “I love you.”
Unable to help herself, Azzi leaned forward to kiss her girlfriend again, “Love you, too.”
Paige shifted so she was sitting upright against the beach chair and pulled Azzi to rest between her legs as they basked in their soft declarations of love and the sound of the waves crashing against the shore.
“Good morning, I have a breakfast tray for you two,” a waiter announced as he placed it on the small table next to their chair.
Both girls sat up and smiled, thanking the man and assuring him they didn’t need anything else. Taking in the large tray, both girls looked at each other as if to say, “This is insane.” There were plates of traditional American breakfast foods like eggs and bacon, waffles, and lots of fruit and other pastries arranged as if it came off a Pinterest board.
“You think Geno and CD are gonna be mad when they see the bill? I charged it to the room,” Paige asked with a laugh.
“Depends on how much it costs,” Azzi teased, nudging her shoulder. “They might make you run extra at practice or get them merch to pay this off.”
Paige shrugged, “Worth it.”
The two girls each grabbed a fork and began digging into their meal. They ate in relative silence, reaching across each other to pick at the different options on the plate. Occasionally, when they got sick of the other’s arm being in the way, they’d grab what the other wanted on their fork to feed each other.
As D1 athletes do, they cleaned all the plates of any remnants of food before dropping their utensils with a clank. They resumed their position from earlier and continued to look out at the ocean. By now, a few more hotel guests were starting to venture onto the beach, but it was still calm.
Azzi rested her hand on Paige’s knee, but quickly pulled it back when she felt the blonde flinch at the contact. She sat up and turned to face her girlfriend, “What’s wrong? Is it still bothering you?”
Paige tried to look away, but a stern call of her name from Azzi made her sigh, “Yeah, it’s just sore and a little tender I guess. I’ll be fine though, I promise.”
Azzi continued to stare into Paige’s eyes, searching for whether or not she was telling the truth. After a long moment, she relaxed the shoulders she didn’t even realize had tensed up during the exchange.
Paige’s expression softened at the other girl’s visible worry, “I really am ok, but I appreciate you worrying for me.”
Azzi looked down, “I can’t help it. Look at me and what we’ve been through. I’m scared now.”
“Hey, look at me,” Paige told her, grabbing her chin so their eyes could meet. “If something was wrong for real I’d tell you, ok? I know better now and I know you’re scared, I won’t make it worse for you.”
Azzi nodded, “Ok. Yeah, ok.”
Paige looked around quickly to make sure no one was paying attention to them before leaning forward and kissing Azzi softly. It was short and sweet in an effort to not attract any attention, but comforting enough to placate the worry in Azzi’s mind.
“Now, let’s relax some more before the girls start coming out here and disturbing my peace,” Paige joked, trying to lighten the mood. She pulled Azzi back into her chest and hooked her chin over the other girl’s shoulder.
Azzi barked out a laugh, “Oh, please you love KK and Ice annoying you. You’d be so bored without them.”
“Yeah, but don’t tell them that,” Paige admitted to her with a chuckle. “I’d never hear the end of it.”
“Hmm, depends on what you’re willing to pay me for my silence,” Azzi turned her head to the side, the suggestion apparent in her tone and eyes.
“Azzi, there’s not really anything I would say no to you for,” Paige replied earnestly, but rolled her eyes at how much of a simp she sounded.
“Oh, I know I just like to hear you say it,” the shooting guard told her girlfriend smugly.
“You’re annoying,” Paige said, unwrapping her arms from around Azzi.
“You’re such a big baby!” Azzi laughed at the blonde’s childish behavior. “Paige! Stop pouting, you know I’d do anything for you too.”
Azzi turned to face her girlfriend and grabbed her face to say more but rolled her eyes when she saw the smirk on the blonde’s face, “God, you’re so annoying.”
“You love me anyway,” Paige smiled at her.
The brunette had half a mind to make a joke that it was unfortunate she did, but the way Paige was looking at her kept her from doing so. Instead she just nodded, “Yeah, I do.”
“How much?” Paige pushed.
Azzi raised an eyebrow, “Win tonight and I’ll show you.”
Paige leaned closer so their faces were almost touching and in a whisper asked, “Promise?”
The couple stared at each other for a moment, the air around them charged and full of unspoken thoughts of their night to come. Unable to help herself, Azzi leaned forward and pecked Paige on the lips.
“Promise.”