Work Text:
“Why’re you looking at me like that?” Paige glanced at Inês, who was sitting in the passenger seat, grinning at Paige.
“Like what?” Inês schooled her expression a bit, but she couldn’t tame the smile entirely.
“Like you’re a proud parent or something. That’s my job.”
“Yeah ok, pops. Calm down,” Inês chided. “I’m just happy you’re happy.”
“That’s some cheeseball bs, Nesh. What the hell?” Paige turned when the gps lady told her to, taking them on some errand Inês had invited herself on for a little bit of one-on-one time before she left.
“I am!” Inês defended. “When I visited last year you were...not unhappy, but not like this. You always have a good game face, but I could tell.”
“Yeah, I guess that’s true.” Paige shrugged. “It was a weird year.”
“You’re like a pack animal who had to build a whole new pack from scratch. That was weird.” Inês said. “Was it like that your freshman year at UConn too?”
“I dunno. You’d have to ask Nika, I guess. Actually, don’t ask Nika. Who knows what she’d say?” Paige said. Inês snorted. “That year was weird in a different way, with the pandemic and all.”
“That checks out. Plus, that time, you weren’t as used to having Azzi just down the hall.”
“Oh, here we go,” Paige complained, but she was smiling.
“I’m just saying,” Inês continued. “You were a little forlorn last year, and I don’t think it was because you missed coach yelling at you. Even though I’m sure you did because you’re a weirdo like all other UConn weirdos.”
“I know you mean that lovingly.”
“Obviously.”
They both laughed at that, and then Inês let the quiet sit for a minute, knowing Paige would fill it. Sure enough, a few turns later, Paige cleared her throat.
“I’m still afraid to jinx it.” Paige stared straight ahead, her expression serious and her jaw clenched just slightly. “This feels like it can’t be real. A little like those first few weeks after Az got to UConn, but bigger.”
“I imagine,” Inês said, leaving space for Paige to talk it out.
“I’ve always talked a big game. But I’m not sure I really believed I could manifest this.” Paige’s voice was hushed, the wonder evident in her tone. Inês lifted a hand to her mouth to hide her smile. “Six months ago, I was fully prepared to spend the next however many years of our life shuttling between cities for half the year. Hell, two months ago I was still keeping those backup plans even though things were pretty clear.”
“And now?”
“And now, when I pass the ball, she materializes at the three-point line like she’s always been there. And my kitchen has healthy shit in it again. And I don’t have to worry about making time for facetime because she’s here. Just, all the time. Here.”
“That’s pretty big,” Inês affirmed. She reached out to squeeze Paige’s shoulder.
“I’m so lucky,” Paige said, and there – that was the smile Inês had been seeing on her face the whole weekend. The one that looked surprised, and grateful, and deeply content.
“Couldn’t happen to a better person – to better people,” Inês said, smiling fully now. “You two have been through plenty. Only seems fair that you should get this.”
“I mean, sure. But plenty of other people deserve good things too,” Paige responded, because being humble was what she did.
“P,” Inês said patiently. “You’re allowed to just be happy. It looks good on you.”
“Yeah?” Paige looked at Inês, who nodded. “Yeah.”
“I love this for both of you. And the basketball is good too.”
“The basketball...”
Paige trailed off, a goofy look on her face that Inês knew meant she was imagining playing with Azzi. They were gross off the court, but on the court was its own special brand of extreme flirtation if you knew what to look for. Inês had perfected that long ago, much to her own chagrin.
“Imagining an assist should not make you make that face,” Inês commented when Paige didn’t snap out of it.
“But she’s so perfect!” Paige insisted, not registering that Inês was rolling her eyes next to her. “Her iq, and her off-ball movement, and...”
“Paige. I know. I played with her too.”
“But I play with her now,” Paige retorted, her expression that specific mix of smug and amazed that only Azzi could bring out in her.
“Your brain may have decided you two are keeping things private, but your face never did get the memo.” Inês knew this wasn’t a new behavior, but it certainly seemed worse than before.
“Ugh, I know. I just...I’m really happy. Like, I’m not sure I could survive being happier than this.”
“Better not ever get married then,” Inês quipped, laughing when Paige shot her an incredulous look. “I’m just saying, you’re going to ascend to a higher plane when that happens. I’m already mentally preparing myself to scrape you off the ceiling.”
Paige didn’t have a response for that, except to grin so hard her cheeks looked like they might pop, while turning a little pink. It was adorable in that nauseating way Inês was all too used to.
“Anyway!” Inês said, hoping to redirect them from yet another soppy topic. “To recap. You’re super happy. It’s great. Yes, you deserve it. No, I don’t need details.”
Now it was Paige’s turn to roll her eyes, but she was still smiling and blushing a little. Inês reached out to pat her on the shoulder again. Then, to save them both, she changed the subject.
***
“Kelis,” Azzi said, taking her chance now that Paige and Inês were off running errands. “You have got to stop looking at Paige and me like we’re animals at the zoo.”
“But you’re so cuuuute!” Kelis sang out. Next to her, Sarah sighed. Kelis went on, undeterred. “Like two little peas in a pod. Like two little lovebirds. Like...”
“Kelis.” This time it was Ice interrupting. Azzi looked at her gratefully. “You’re acting brand new. It’s not like you haven’t seen them before.”
“Well, I kind of haven’t,” Kelis said. “Any time Paige was around, she was either at practice with us or Azzi stole her away.”
“I know you’re not pouting about me making time for my own girlfriend,” Azzi said, nudging Kelis off the back of the couch so she didn’t flail her way directly onto the floor.
“I’m just SAYING,” Kelis continued, now sitting like a normal person. “It’s not like I saw y’all in your natural habitat or anything.”
“Not helping your case about the zoo animals thing,” Sarah muttered from her spot on the couch.
“But it’s so fascinating!” At this point, wild horses couldn’t derail Kelis. “You two just, like, gravitate toward one another and don’t even realize you’re doing it. And you make these faces. And have these silent conversations!”
“The parents do that, Kelis,” KK chimed in, making her way back from the kitchen with snacks. “They always have. Get your own damn drinks, by the way. I ran out of hands.”
Sarah grumbled, Kelis ignored her, and finally Ice got up to go get the drinks. Azzi kept watching Kelis, because she knew Kelis wasn’t done.
“You just look really happy, Az. It’s nice,” Kelis concluded, which was honestly really sweet.
“Thanks, gup,” Azzi said, deflecting a little. “I am.”
“Big girl job. Big girl relationship. Fudd’s turned into a grownup without us!” KK declared, because she couldn’t leave well enough alone either.
“Ok, ok.” Azzi held her hands up, even as KK came over to snag her in a hug. “But it’s not like my relationship is new and different or anything. We’re just in the same place again.”
“Actually,” Ice spoke up as she walked back in with drinks for everyone. “I hate to agree with the youngest child over there, but you two are a little different than you used to be.”
“I think it’s because time isn’t running out anymore,” Sarah said astutely. “You’re settled. I mean, Paige is still a lunatic, but she’s like, a calm lunatic? I don’t know.”
They all laughed, and Azzi took a minute to think about what Sarah was saying. She did feel more settled now. And though she’d always been sure of Paige, of them together, their relationship felt permanent in a new way. Like they were adults fully choosing one another, building a life that included basketball but didn’t rely on it. Which was ironic considering they were playing together again. But that was their job. Paige, Azzi knew, was her future.
“Oh god we made her think mushy thoughts again,” Sarah complained, making everyone else laugh and Azzi wonder what exactly her face had been doing. “Y’all are basically married. Hasn’t the statute of limitations run out on being all sappy yet?”
“We are not,” Azzi protested, flushing slightly while all her terrible friends grinned at her.
“Yeah, ok.” KK snorted. “You’re trying to tell us that’s not next on the Azzi and Paige agenda?”
“We don’t even live together!” Azzi said. She should have expected that they’d all just roll their eyes at her. Them not living together was only a technicality at this point.
“You basically live together. And you’ve totally had the ‘what comes next’ conversation,” KK said definitively. Azzi regretted telling her so much over the last year.
“I mean, sort of? We didn’t even know we’d be in the same place until a month ago! Hard to plan around that.”
“Paige has had an evolving ten-year plan for the two of you since you met,” Ice said, the absolute traitor. She knew too much too. “At this point I assume it’s shot past marriage and includes babies.”
“Ice!” Azzi said. She pressed her hands to her cheeks where they were burning. KK laughed like a little gremlin and poked her dimple. “You’re all the worst.”
“For telling the truth? Please.” Ice was smug as hell.
“We’ll get there when we get there,” Azzi said, not willing to give them any more information than they already possessed. It wasn’t their business if her conversations with Paige had recently taken a turn toward the more permanent.
Sarah started humming something that sounded suspiciously like the wedding march. Azzi smacked her on the back of the head as she walked past to sit down.
“Time to shut up now,” Azzi announced, pressing play on the movie they’d chosen and turning up the volume for good measure.
An hour later, Paige and Inês walked in, Inês squishing onto the couch next to KK while Paige headed straight for Azzi. She kissed the top of Azzi’s head, then sat down in front of her, looped an arm over Azzi’s knees, and put her head in Azzi’s lap. Azzi pretended not to hear the mocking coos from around the room or to see KK and Inês elbowing one another and grinning. She just smoothed Paige’s hair away from her face and enjoyed having her favorite person right there in touching distance.
Paige tilted her head back to smile up at her, that soft smile that had always been hers. Azzi relaxed more fully into her chair and into the warmth of Paige against her. She knew their friends were watching, that they were ready to tease the two of them at a moment’s notice. But she also knew that they meant it with love, and that they were happy that she and Paige were happy.
Azzi smiled down at Paige, dropping a quick kiss on her lips before they both focused back on the movie in front of them. This was their life now – practices and games and visits from friends and family. Quiet nights in and rowdy nights out. New teammates and new cities and new experiences. And always, underneath, that deep feeling of contentment that came from knowing they had one another. If that’s what growing up meant, then Azzi didn’t mind it one bit.