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plot: past feelings bubble up during unrivaled

trope: past lovers to lovers again

pairings: wbb! past! notre dame! reader x skylar diggins

warnings: uh cheating, intimacy, smoking

a/n: did y'all see kelsey first sparks game? I'm so proud 🥹 do we want a new kp oneshot?? ☺️

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The "affair" first started a couple months into their junior year. Y/n had always been in love with Skylar, since middle school really. They grew up together. They were each other's first kiss. They started basketball together and had been teammates ever since. Everyone always had something to say about their friendship, suggesting it was more than that but they denied it every time.

They kept it a secret. Why? Skylar had a boyfriend. Daniel Smith. He played football for their college. It wasn't like he was a bad guy. He was just in the way. In y/n's way.

You're probably wondering why she was even okay with letting this happen, letting Skylar be with him. Well, when you're so deeply in love with someone, it's hard to let them go. She didn't want to lose Skylar as a lover or as her best friend. So, she didn't say anything. She couldn't say anything.

That didn't mean she wasn't sick of it. She hated sharing. She hated being the backup choice. The one who consoled her after they had a stupid argument. She wanted to get back at her. And she knew exactly how to do that. Skylar had the worst jealousy issues. She got extremely possessive when it came to y/n's dating life, ever since she got heart broken in high school. Nobody was ever good enough for her.

So, to get back at her for all the back in forth. She slept with Jewell Loyd, their Fighting Irish teammate. She didn't know it yet. But she'd find out soon enough.

It was nearing the end of senior year, or well, the end of their final year in basketball. They had their last home game against UConn, and instead of celebrating with each other, Skylar went out with Daniel after the game. It was disappointing for sure. But, being as stupidly in love as she was, she stayed up, waiting for Skylar to come back to their dorm.

She was asleep when Skylar got back at 4 in the morning. She kicked off her heels and made her way to y/n's room. She turned the handle and pushed open the door, stepping inside and flipping on the dimmed out lamp in the corner. Y/n was a light sleeper so she woke up when she heard the door. "Sky? Is that you?"

Skylar smiled, climbing over her lap, "hey baby." She leaned down to press a kiss to her soft lips. Y/n sighed, looking away, "..you smell like him."

She sighed, reaching over to grab the perfume on the table and spray herself with it. "Is that better, baby?" Y/n nodded, actually loving that scent of perfume on her. "I'm a little tired, Sky." She smiled softly, peppering little kisses down her neck, slowly sliding her hand into her sweats. "That's okay. You don't have to do anything. Let me make it up to you."

It took just a couple minutes, soft moans escaping her lips, Skylar's fingers thrusting in and out of her. "That's it, baby. You feel good?" She whispered softly into her ear, leaving little kisses here and there, coaxing her through her orgasm.

And that's when she saw it. Jewell's sweater. The same one she always wore to practice. "What the fuck is that?" She got up, grabbing the sweater as y/n sat up to see what she was talking about. "What?" It was inside out, making her flip it back to see if it was really Jewell's. She dug her hand into the pocket, pulling out a pair of keys...that belonged to Jewell.

She scoffed, "what the hell is Jewell's sweater doing here, y/n?"

Fuck it. There was no point in lying. She was gonna tell her anyways. "She must've forgot it..after we had sex."

"You're cheating on me?" Y/n scoffed, leaning back against her pillows. "It's not cheating if we're not together." Her jaw clenched, not a fan of this sudden attitude. She tossed the sweater to the floor carelessly and moved to straddle her lap, caressing her face. "She's not good enough for you, baby. Okay? She can't give you the same things I can."

"Maybe not, but at least I can trust that she's not gonna get a boyfriend on me," y/n countered, only frustrating her further.

Skylar sighed, cupping her cheek softly, "you know I can't leave him, baby. I love him. But I love you too. You're my best friend." She brought her into a kiss, and it left her confused when she felt tears running down y/n's cheeks. "I love you too, Sky."

She frowned, wiping her stray tears with her thumbs. "Why are you crying?"

Y/n suddenly moved her off and stood up, leaving her best friend filled with confusion. "I can't do it anymore. I'm sorry, but I can't be your second choice. You have to choose. It's me or him." She didn't answer, tears running down her cheeks, still wondering why this was happening, why everything was falling apart. "...I can't."

"You just did." She picked up her phone and keys, tucking them into her pocket before pulling on a sweater.

"Where are you going?!" Skylar got up, rushing to follow her out of the room.

"I'm staying with Kayla. Don't bother to call me. You made your choice. From now on we're teammates. Nothing more than that." She slipped on her shoes and unlocked the door, stepping out of the dorm and shutting it after her. She expected Skylar to run after her, begging her to stay after choosing her. But that was an unrealistic standard. A standard Skylar didn't live up to.

They still had to finish March Madness as teammates. This year was supposed to be theirs. As bestfriends, it had always been their goal to win the NCAA championship together. UConn, the team they had mopped the floor with all year had sent them home early. And it was all because Y/n and Skylar lost all their chemistry on that court. It was like they were playing with strangers.

That was the end of it. That was the end of their college story.

Nobody won.

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It was 2025 currently. But let's catch up. After losing to UConn in the NCAA tournament, the WNBA draft came up shortly after. Y/n was drafted in the first round by the San Antonio Stars, who later became the Las Vegas Aces. It was the only WNBA teams she'd ever played in. She stayed loyal to them. She became a 2x WNBA champion with the Aces in 2022 and 2023. She had plenty of success there.

2024 had been a rough year for them. They couldn't go for a three-peat and honestly, y/n felt it was time for a change. She hadn't made a final decision, still not entirely sure she wanted to leave the Aces. She was just scouting her options.

In the meantime, she had signed to Unrivaled. A 3v3 league started by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart. She wasn't sure she'd get to play much, given the broken ankle she suffered during playoffs. But Stewie thought the league would be a good way to get her back on her feet and feel more comfortable on the court again. The ankle was healed by all means, but she still didn't trust it fully.

She shouldn't have been upset. Truly, it wasn't Breanna's nor Napheesa's fault. They had no idea about the situation between Y/n and Skylar. But, it still bothered her that they put her in the Lunar Owls, the same team as Skylar Diggins-Smith.

Did we forget to mention she was a Smith now? Yeah. She married him, took his last name and all. And she couldn't forget about the two kids they shared. Yeah, her life had gone just the way she wanted. She got everything she dreamed of and y/n wasn't there for any of it. That was the downside of choosing him. She lost her best friend.

Now obviously they had run ins over the years. It was bound to happen playing against each other in the W. But even then, y/n had never spoken a word to her. If they were to be on the same team, talking was gonna be necessary. She really didn't want to do that.

"Hey babe, did you want me to drive you?" Oh. Did I forget to mention she had a girlfriend?

"Uh, I mean, only if you want to. I don't mind driving there." Y/n spoke, picking up her bag and pulling it over her shoulder, ready to leave. Today was media day, and she obviously had to be there for that.

"No, no, let me take you. I should be there early anyways. It makes me look reliable." Sarah insisted, grabbing the keys off the counter. She also happened to work at Unrivaled. Y/n didn't argue, just letting her take the wheel. They stopped for a coffee on the way there and her heart was still racing and it wasn't the coffee's fault.

Sarah took her hand as they walked through the doors. She showed her the way around, y/n unfamiliar with the area. "Okay, just down the hall to the right is the Owls locker room. I'll see you later, babe. Have a good day." She pressed a kiss to her cheek and went the opposite direction.

She entered the locker room, and of course, Skylar was sitting right there in the middle of a conversation with Napheesa when she walked in. Phee smiled, getting up to hug her, "hi, I'm so glad you made it. Are you settling in well?"

"Uh yeah, it's been good." She answered, nodding softly.

"That's great. How's Sarah?"

"She's good." Y/n walked over to her locker and set her bag inside. "You like the jersey?" Phee asks. She knew she was a relatively reserved person, someone who kept to herself outside the court so she was trying to get her to open up some more. "Yeah, it's lovely." She nods, running her fingers over the fabric. She did love the colorway on it.

Phee glanced between her and Skylar, silently wondering why they had yet to greet each other. Skylar did not want Phee to meddle so she got up and walked over to y/n. She stuck out her hand, "it's nice to be your teammate again. We good?"

Sucking in a breath, she nodded, taking her hand firmly, "we good."

The rest of media day went fine. They hadn't talked to each other, and y/n had luckily gotten started up in conversations with Shakira and Court that kept her mind away from Skylar. She was in the showers when Sarah had walked into the Lunar Owls locker room to pick up her girlfriend. Only to discover she wasn't there. It was just Skylar. "Can I help you?"

"Maybe. I'm looking for y/n."

Skylar raised a brow, taking in the woman's appearance. She definitely looked like someone y/n would date. "You must be Sarah, right?"

She hummed, nodding her head in reply with a tight lipped smile. She knew Skylar used to be one of y/n's best friend's because of all the pictures she was in. She wasn't stupid either. Just by those pictures she knew Skylar and y/n must've been intimate at some point. She didn't like it at all. Married or not. She didn't trust Skylar. "That's me. Do you know where my girlfriend is by any chance?"

Skylar could tell instantly that Sarah didn't like her. It made her wonder why. Was it because she knew what went down at Notre Dame? Or was it because she felt threatened? "She's in the showers."

"Cool. I'll wait." Sarah made her way over to y/n's locker and sat down, pulling her purse onto her lap. Skylar took a once over on her. She had on a necklace with y/n's jersey number. She had the perfect ginger curls, freckles and green eyes. She was gorgeous, there was no doubting that. But there was just something Skylar didn't like about her.

Sarah wore a condescending smile, "so, valentines day's coming up soon. Got any plans, with your husband?"

"Oh, I'm too busy for all that." She smiled, waving her off. "What about you? Got any plans with y/n? She always was the romantic type. I'm sure she's got somethin' real nice planned for y'all." Sarah squints, not at all a fan of the way she implied that. "Of course she does. She's the best." Truthfully, she didn't know what y/n had planned, or if she had any at all.

"I'm sure she is." Skylar hummed, leaning back in her chair just as y/n and Shakira entered the locker room.

Sarah stood up, "hey, babe. You ready to go? We should hurry, I made reservations." Y/n resisted the urge to groan, forcing a smile. She was exhausted. The last thing she wanted to do was to go to some fancy restaurant where the food was too expensive for it's average taste. But hey, if her girlfriend wanted that, she'd cope.

"Can I wear my sweats?"

Sarah sighed, shaking her head, "no, please, people stared last time. Just put on the skirt I got you."

Skylar had to fight back a laugh. If she knew anything about y/n, it was that she hated wearing super feminine like clothes. She didn't even like makeup. And she definitely hated skirts, with a deep passion. She wasn't deeply masculine either. She just liked to dress in clothing that was actually comfortable. She never cared for dressing up...although she loved when Skylar got all dressed up for her.

Y/n sighs, "do I have to? It don't even fit me right."

Sarah groaned, "fine, wear your ugly sweats. Just hurry up or we'll be late. I'll wait in the car." She shoots the two players a tight smile as she made her dramatic exit, heels clicking against the floors.

"No offense, but your girlfriend's kinda bitchy." Shakira comments, leaning back in her chair, Sky subtly nodding in agreement, glad she said it. "She probably just had a bad day at work. I'll see you tomorrow." Y/n rushed out, grabbing her things to quickly leave after her girlfriend.

Shakira and Skylar share a look. "Something tells me that's not lasting very long," Kira stated.

Skylar nodded in agreement, "yeah, she ain't good enough for her."

She squints, not sure she would've put it that way. But, she wasn't entirely sure she was wrong either. "I agree."

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The first practice went more than great. Coach put Skylar and y/n on the same team and the minute they got comfortable, it was flashbacks to Notre Dame. Their chemistry was insane, like it never left. If y/n needed to pass, she knew where Skylar was on the court without needing to look. At one point they went to high five but stopped midway and walked away.

"Y/n, you comin' to dinner with us?" Phee asked, she and Skylar planning it as a little celebration for their first successful practice as a team.

"Uhh, is it okay if I bring my girlfriend?" She asked, really not in the mood to get chewed out for skipping yet another dinner reservation. This way they'd both be happy. Phee didn't know how to say no but Skylar didn't care at all, she didn't want Sarah there. "It's a team only thing."

Y/n sighed, "um, okay. Just text me the address and time and I'll be there."

Phee smiled, "great. I'll send you the details."

An hour later, y/n was starting up her car following an argument with her girlfriend. It definitely put a dent in her mood, but hopefully a night out with her teammates would cheer her up. She turned on a song, it was 6 Inch by Beyoncé, only one of her favorites. It wasn't a long drive to the restaurant. She noticed it was right near the beach so she was definitely gonna take a walk after dinner.

When she made her way to the table, she noticed the whole team was already there. "Shit- am I late?"

"You're just on time actually," Phee assured.

She sighed in relief, pulling out her chair that happened to be right across Skylar. Great. "You good?" Sky asked, noticing how down her attitude was compared to earlier in practice. It looked like all her happiness faded. "I'm fine." She plastered on a smile before picking up the menu.

After a few drinks, she actually managed to loosen up and have some good conversation with her new teammates. "Those passes to Sky today were literally insane, y/n. I felt like I was watching your highlights in Notre Dame." Courtney comments.

Y/n chuckled, shrugging it off, "ah, it's not a big deal. I guess we uh.." Sky smiled, finishing her sentence for her, "we still got it."

"Nah, I thought you and A'ja were a good pair but damn, you and Sky are somethin' else," Court adds, only making them smile even more, the memories coming back to them on the court. "I guess it's just reflexes kickin' in," she mumbled, taking a bite of the lamb she ordered.

"She just tryna be humble. We all know she know she gon' be doing celebrations up and down that court." Skylar teased, bringing y/n to look up at her, a small smile tugged at the corner of her lips. She wasn't wrong either. Y/n was known for being cocky, and doing little celebrations after a tough basket. It was something she'd done since middle school. Skylar just knew her all too well.

"Yeah, we just gon' hope this ankle holds up," y/n shrugs. Although, she had never felt more confident in a practice than today's. Her ankle had actually felt great and she had no trouble diving in the paint or sprinting back in forth during turnovers.

"It'll hold up. You just gotta trust yourself." Skylar stated softly, almost forgetting they had other people at the table.

"Since we're on the topic of y/n. I got a question for you, it might be a little messy." Cam spoke, gaining some chuckles. Y/n turned to look at the blonde, "lay it on me."

"Why haven't you resigned with the Aces?"

They all shared looks, equally invested in this. Everyone wanted to know. The fans, and the players. Y/n and A'ja were a threat together...you take away that, there's not much hope for a championship. "Despite what everyone's thinking, it's got nothing to do with A'ja or the management. I just feel like I need a fresh start. I need to test myself. I need a challenge again."

"Have you decided on a team?" Phee asked, although she did have plans to try and get y/n to lean towards the Lynx.

"Uh, I have, yeah. I'm from Indiana, so I'm thinkin' maybe it's a good time to go home, be closer to my family." She answered, and she could definitely see them judging, silently because they probably would've preferred her to pick the team they were on. "But, it's still under consideration. I'm still exploring my options."

"I speak for me and Phee when I say you can explore your way over to Minnesota," Courtney said jokingly while not actually joking.

"No, no, no, she belongs in Washington with me," Shakira jumped in.

"Excuse me? She belongs in LA with me. We have her bestie KP. What do y'all have?" Cameron argued, making a solid point because y/n was very close to Kelsey, being on the Aces with her since the girl was a rookie.

Allisha decided to cut in with her argument. "If I may, y/n seems more like an Atlanta kind of girl."

"As flattered as I am, I'm not making a decision until very later on." Y/n stated, hoping they could move on from this topic now. And they did. It turned into a little bit of gossip, mixed in with some talk of college basketball, mostly the draft and where they thought players would be drafted to.

"Sparks had a bad season but Dallas's year was a lot worse. It only makes sense for them to get the first pick." Y/n said. She was an avid WNBA watcher, even as a player, she watched every single game of the season. It was her way of studying different players and being able to prepare herself for an upcoming game with a team. She was also the biggest college basketball fan.

"Since you got such strong opinions on the draft, what do you think of the possibility of Sedona Prince getting drafted?" Courtney asked after they had went into conversations about where each player should land and what round. Y/n chuckled, taking a sip of her cocktail. "Alright, setting aside the allegations, let's talk her game, if she even has any that is."

They all leaned in, very interested in what she had to say about this given her strong opinions on college basketball. "She's been in college since Sabrina Ionescu was a senior. She's 6'7, 24 years old, and still struggles getting the ball to the rim against players far younger than her. She's just not good enough. And if she were to be drafted, I guarantee she wouldn't make it a week into training camp without getting waived. So realistically, she's not even gonna sniff a WNBA court."

Court reaches over to dap her up, "couldn't have said that shit better myself."

"And the allegations?" Shakira questioned, just wanting to be a little messy. If y/n hated her this much, surely the allegations enraged her. Y/n took another sip of her drink, shrugging a shoulder. "Well if they're true, and with the amount she has, surely they are- she's a piece a shit that should be in jail. I don't have a lick of respect for people who abuse their partners. She shouldn't be playin' basketball with a record like that."

Skylar wanted badly to reach over and take her hand. She knew domestic violence could be a tough subject for her, given the toxic household she grew up in. But they all nodded in agreement. In general, most people in the W didn't want anything to do with her or her allegations. "But moving on from that, I'm actually impressed with the year Hailey's been having. I hope she goes first round in the draft."

"I agree. What team do you think should draft her?" Cam asked.

"Uh, I could see her landing in Chicago. She'll fit well in that roster. I feel like Tyler would be very interested in her depending on the performance she puts out during march madness. He's always scoutin' like that." She said, knowing what he was like because he was the assistant coach in Vegas, so they grew close there. In fact, he did make an offer to her too. She was considering it too, since she was interested in working with Angel.

"Ooh, speaking of March Madness. Who do y'all got for the natty?" Skylar asked, already knowing who she was going with...and obviously totally biased about it. "I'm rockin' with my Irish as usual. We gettin' that championship."

"UConn of course," Phee smiled, also very biased because that was her college. "You know what? I'mma go wit' UConn too," Court added. Cameron nodded, "with you on that. UConn all the way."

"Gamecocks, obviously," Lish grinned, gesturing the SC sweater she wore.

"I'm biased, so it's unrealistic. But Maryland," Shakira shrugs. At least she acknowledged her bias. "And if we're talkin' realism, UConn or Notre Dame."

Skylar turned to y/n, curious to hear her answer. Ever since leaving Notre Dame, she hardly ever acknowledged her time there. "What about you? Who do you got?" 

Y/n squints, thinking it over. She never had a specific bias when it came to March Madness. She went by stats and just how good she thought a team was gonna be. "Uh, I know a lot of people expect me to say Notre Dame but in my opinion, Hannah can be..inconsistent and they lack a lot of chemistry you need to be a championship team. I think realistically, UConn's taking it this year, they have everything you need to win a championship."

"And who do you think they're beating in the finals?" Court asks, completely agreeing with most of her takes tonight. "South Carolina for sure. But, I have a feeling UConn's not gonna struggle very much against them. I mean, compared to their last game against each other..it'll be a walk in the park."

"I'm liking you more and more everyday," Napheesa comments with a bright smile.

"If that happens, at least they'll know how we felt," Skylar input, directed towards y/n. It was the smallest dig at their loss. Clearly she still had some blame for y/n completely giving up in their final game.

Y/n raised a brow, leaning back in her seat. "I see someone's still a sore loser." She scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest, clearly bothered. "I wouldn't be if you hadn't played like you had two left feet," she shot back. She chuckled, shaking her head in disbelief, "oh, like you were playing any better. We both choked. Get over it. You got everything you wanted in the end. Was that not enough?"

She knew exactly what she meant by that. No matter how good things were going, it would always lead back to that. And as much as she was satisfied with her family. There was still one thing that was always missing. The one thing she didn't get. "I didn't get everything. I think you know that."

She leaned forward, staring directly into her eyes. "Do I though?"

Courtesy cleared her throat, "are y'all good? I'm gettin' the feelin' there's some unfinished business here..."

They both leaned back and shrugged, "Nah, we good."

After dinner wrapped up, y/n made her way out and since the walk wasn't very far, she left her car in the parking lot and walked down to the beach. As she leaned down to take her shoes off, a voice caught her attention. "Are you following me?" She turned around to see Skylar standing there, her heels in her hand as she stood in the sand.

"Why would I be following you?" She deadpanned, pulling off her shoes and socks. "Looks like we just had the same idea."

"Well, since you're here, you could walk with me." Skylar pitched, walking ahead of her and smiling when she heard y/n jog after her. She didn't even know why she was following her. She could've just protected her peace and went the other way but no, her body took over. "Why would you wanna play for the Fever? You hated Indiana. The only reason you stayed so long was 'cause of me. Probably would've ended up in UConn if you didn't follow me to ND."

"Ain't wrong about that," she mumbled, rubbing her neck, trying to find a way to explain. "I don't know..I mean, it's not like I talk to my family much, unless they need money. I guess I just miss the idea of being home, even if home never loved me back." It took everything in her not to reach over and embrace her. The worst part about not being friends was the lack of affection, given they were two very affectionate people. Well, y/n used to be. When she left college, she wasn't nearly as affectionate.

"What about your mom? Y'all don't talk anymore?" Skylar asked. "Um, no, not really. She only calls me when she needs money..and I give it to her. She moved to Fort Wayne, got a nice suburban house with her rich friends, living off my money."

"Just because you feel bad for her, don't mean you should let her treat you like you're nothing but a bank account, y/n." Skylar stated rather firmly. Did she feel sorry for the abuse y/n's mother went through with her dad? Yes. But that didn't mean she liked the way she treated y/n. She witnessed first hand how her mom gave more love to her sons than her daughter and still, y/n loved her.

"Look, that's the only family I got. I'm not gon' mess that up 'cause they ain't perfect." Of course she was dismissive. She always was when it came to them. She didn't see through it but Skylar did. That's why her family let y/n practically move in with them. It was to protect her from the abuse in that household. Another reason Skylar was so protective of her when they were younger. And to be honest, she still was. That didn't change.

"Enough about my fam. How's yours been?" She deflected, still keeping her eyes forward or on the stand. It was a dumb question given she was in control with Skylar's family all the time. They were her biggest support system throughout her career. Not that Skylar would know because they kept it a secret from her.

"They been good."

"And the kids?" Skylar glanced at her, a little surprise she asked about them. But it was sweet to see she actually cared and didn't hate them. "Um- yeah, they've been good. They're coming over to stay with me soon. I'm probably gonna bring them by so maybe you'd like to meet them- if that's something you're interested in."

She smiled, nodding her head. It's not like she hated the kids. She was happy for Skylar. She was happy she got to be a mom. She just wished it could've been with her. "Yeah, I'd love to meet the kids. That sounds nice."

Hearing that made her want to cry, tears of happiness and relief of course. The worst apart about losing y/n was that her kids didn't get to grow up with her in their lives. They wouldn't get to know how wonderful their moms best friend was. But maybe that could change. She hoped it could change. "Really? Like- you're not messin' with me?"

"No, I'm not messin' with you. I'd love to meet your kids." She brought her eyes off the sand to meet Skylar's, tears pooling in the woman's eyes. "Putting aside..that, I'm really proud I get to see you be a mom. Truly, I'm more than happy for you."

"Thank you for saying that. It means more than you could imagine." Skylar expressed, dabbing away some tears to prevent ruining her makeup.

"I do have uh...one question." Skylar knew exactly what she was gonna ask, and she wasn't sure she was prepared to finally answer this question. "Why did you name your son Seven?" She knew why from Skylar parents, but she needed to hear it from her.

"I named him after us. Seven is a number with a lot of importance in our friendship. You were born on the seventh of August. You put seven as your jersey number. Our first kiss was in seventh grade during seven minutes in heaven. So everytime I say his name, I think of you, and I think of us, the good times we shared, and it makes me feel better."

Y/n did what she didn't think was capable of a day ago. She hugged her. Skylar cried into her neck, holding onto her so tightly, afraid if she'd let go, she'd disappear again. "I missed you so much, y/n. I'm so sorry for everything." She pulled away gently, using her thumbs to wipe away her tears. "Don't cry, okay? That was a long time ago. I forgive you, Sky."

The smallest smile graced her lips, voice cracking slightly as she spoke, "you do?"

"Of course I do. You'll always be my best friend. Nobody can replace you." She wasn't lying either. Any friend she made, none of them came close to Skylar. Nobody came close to way she made her feel.

She leaned in, and Skylar's eyes softened, but she didn't near her lips, instead pressing a friendly kiss to her cheek. She wasn't thinking about her husband in that moment, because she wanted y/n to kiss her, desperately. Now she knew how it felt for y/n. To want to be with your bestfriend so bad, just wishing they'd pick you or their partner. But it didn't make her sad. It made her angry. Angry at the fact that she couldn't have her. Angry at the fact that her best friend had a partner who didn't appreciate her to the fullest in the ways she could.

Y/n reached down to take her hand, holding her hand on the sand like old times. They walked in the sand, Skylar leaning into her with a smile, beach waves filling the silence. "So, how's uh..how's Daniel?"

"Oh..he's good. Same old Daniel." She shrugs, just to brush off this topic before she said some things she probably shouldn't.

"What do you mean by that? Y'all having trouble?" Of course y/n just had to ask more questions. She knew her far too well. She could tell when something was up. "I don't know. I just..sometimes I feel like our marriage hasn't gone anywhere, you know? There's no excitement. It's just..it's boring. He's boring. There I said it. That felt good to say." She let a sigh of relief out, glancing over at the ocean waters.

"Are you talkin' just boring in general or the bedroom? Cause I know some people be gettin' that mixed up." Skylar grimaced, and they cracked a small laugh. "I guess both kinda applies. Ever since I got pregnant with my daughter, it felt like things just went downhill from there. I don't know if it's fixable."

"Well anythings fixable if you want it bad enough. If you wanna fix it, maybe y'all should go to couples therapy. I heard that works." Y/n advised, and to be honest, she was probably the last person to give out advice given her relationship with Sarah. They weren't exactly winning couple of the year awards.

"Can we talk about somethin' else? Like...maybe, how jacked you've gotten?" She chuckled, reaching her hand up to grab her bicep. Y/n blushed, "ah, it's nothin'."

"Nothin'!? Girl, you used to be so scrawny in college it was sad." Skylar pointed out, playfully pushing her and she didn't completely stumble and fall like she would've in college. "I know, I know. Coach told me if I wanted to stay on the team I had to get my weight up so I did. And I still be gettin' mopped by AT in the paint."

Skylar snickered, recalling those moments AT knocked the life out of y/n. No matter how strong she was, AT could put her on the floor any day. "She be givin' you hell."

"Tell me about it. I actually get a little bit peace now that DT retirin' 'cause lord knows that lady be givin' me throat chops." Y/n spoke, walking towards the water, hand still in Skylar's, pulling her along. She laughed, recalling those times. "I remember that! Your rookie year she knocked you in your throat and you caught the foul."

"Classic DT." She chuckled, glancing down at the waves that were coming closer and closer. She tossed her phone and shoes over to the side, and Skylar did the same.

When the water reached her feet she quickly bent down to splash some on Skylar. She squealed, immediately running away, "y/n! I'mma get you back!" She picked up some of the wet sand and threw it at her. Y/n laughed, running away and Skylar ran after her. "Don't run away now!" She jumped onto her back and they fell into the water, laughter in the air.

"Oh, shit." Skylar winced, y/n's hair caught in her earring. "Hold on, don't pull. I got it." She pulled her closer and reached up to take off the earring before working to unhook her hair from it. "Let me do it." Skylar insisted, taking the earring into her hands so y/n didn't just yank her hair off.

"There we go." She brushed her hair back down and put her earring back on. When she focused back up, she realized just how close they were. There was barely an inch of space between their bodies, pulses rising in the moment. "I should uh- I should get back to Sarah." She whispered, stepping away to get back to her phone.

"Why? So she could yell at you for staying out too late?"

"You don't know anything about her." She dismissed, picking up her phone and shoes.

"I know she makes you feel like crap." Skylar scoffed, picking up her heels and phone, quick to follow after y/n. "You made me feel like crap too, Sky. Nobody's perfect."

Ignoring the sting, she grabbed her arm to turn her around. She reached up to put a hand on her cheek, "you deserve better than her, y/n. She doesn't treat you right. She's not good enough for you." She scoffed, shaking her head, "and? You don't know me anymore, Sky. I'm not that same pathetic girl I was in college. I've changed. And as much as I appreciate your concern, I don't need it. Get home safe."

She brushed her hand off and turned, walking away from her again. It frustrated her more than anything. She hated this feeling. Her opinion, her concern, it used to mean something. She used to mean something. Now? She was nothing but a teammate to her, a teammate y/n wasn't in love with her anymore.

It fucking sucked.

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"Can we just sit by the pool and relax? Please, baby. I really don't wanna argue wit' you right now." Sarah sighs, reaching over to hook her arm in y/n's as they made their way to the pool. "Fine. We'll talk about it later." They walked down to the pool and Sarah found them some chairs under the shade. "Baby, can you put sunscreen on my back?" She requested, turning to lay on her stomach.

"Yeah, for sure." As she did that, her phone started ringing and she realized it was the Lunar Owls group chat they had. She reached over to pick it up. "What's up?"

"We're all going down to the pool. Did you and Sarah wanna join us?" Phee asked.

She chuckles, "actually, we're already down by the pool."

"Seriously?" She laughs, "okay, we'll meet you down there then."

It was a couple minutes later, y/n was sitting at the edge of the pool when she seen her group of teammates, Phee with her husband and daughter, and Skylar with her two kids. Allisha brought Rhyne with her and Courtney brought her partner too. Seven ran up to y/n excitedly, and she grinned. "What's up kid?"

"Hey Sarah," Phee greeted, the ginger getting up to greet her. They all took notice of the designer bikini and shades she wore, stuff y/n clearly paid for. But hey, that wasn't any of their business. Y/n could do whatever she wanted with her money.

"Baby, you gonna get in the water?" Y/n asked, the ginger just laying down under the shade. "No, I'd prefer to just lay down. But you have fun."

"You gettin' in the water Sky?" Court asks, getting up from the chair so she could get in the water. "Yeah, just a second. Seven, come here!" He sighed, running over to his mom to get sunscreen put on.

After making sure the kids were covered in sunscreen, they made their way to the pool. Her daughter was still pretty young so she had to carry her into the shallow end. "Are you jumping from there?" Her son asks in shock, referring to the diving board y/n was making her way to. "That's so high."

"She'll be fine. Don't worry." Skylar reassured, knowing he was a little worried for her.

As they all chatted and shared laughs in the pool, Sarah sat up to see who was making her girlfriend laugh so much, and of course, it was Skylar. She didn't like it. She didn't like how close Skylar was, putting her hands all over her girlfriend. She didn't plan to get in the water and but she wasn't gonna let Skylar keep touching all on her girlfriend.

"I thought you didn't wanna come in the water?" Y/n asked with a smile, watching Sarah toss her glasses and hat to the side. "I changed my mind." She shrugged, moving to sit at the edge and holding her hands out. Y/n swam away from Skylar to grab onto her girlfriend's waist. Sarah smirked, wrapping her arms around y/n as she pulled her into the water.

Sarah pulled her into a kiss, trying to deepen it just to rub it in but y/n pulled away before it went that far. She didn't like pda in front of kids, or her friends. She just wasn't a pda person in general. She preferred to show affection in private. The most she could do was a quick kiss. Still, Sarah was very satisfied when she caught Skylar roll her eyes with the look of displeasure.

"Hey, Sky. Is Daniel coming down?" Y/n asked, aware he was in Miami with her. She did get to say hi to him when he came by practice. He didn't know what went down, so he wasn't exactly bitter towards her. He actually seemed relieved that she and Skylar were fixing their friendship, even if he had no idea why it ended.

"Um, no. I'll tell you about it later." Skylar said and she nodded, letting the topic go.

"I could really go for some ice cream right now." Sarah spoke, resting her head on y/n's shoulder, arms possessively wrapped around her waist. "Uh, there's an ice cream shop a block down. I could go get you some. What kind you want?"

"I'd love a strawberry. Thank you, baby." She smiled, pressing a kiss to her cheek before y/n moved to climb out.

"Yo, Court, I'mma get ice cream, you wanna come with? My treat." She nodded immediately, getting out to join her and Shakira also volunteered to go with. "Sky, text me what the kids want," y/n added, drying herself off with the towel.

"Did you need some money, babe?" Sarah offered, and Skylar scoffed under her breath knowing damn well she was only offering to make herself look good. "Nah, I got it, babe."

After she left, Sarah moved over to take a seat beside Skylar on the edge. "I know what you're doing." Skylar rolled her eyes, not taking her eyes off the kids as she replied, "and what is that?" She scoffed under her breath, "I know when someone wants my girlfriend. I'm not stupid. Whatever you're planning, it's not gonna work. She's in love with me. So think about that before you try to wreck a home."

Skylar smiled, glancing at the redhead in amusement. "Does she know she's in love with you?"

Sarah squints, "you don't know anything about her."

"Oh trust me, you don't wanna know the things I know about her." Skylar mused, getting back into the water to play a game with her son.

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It was later in the night, y/n was outside near the building, sitting on a bench while she smoked. She never smoked in college, or as a kid, it wasn't until she hung out with Kevin Durant. She smoked with him and discovered that she liked it. It wasn't like she had an addiction or anything. It was just a once in a while thing when she needed to blow off some steam or just relax.

She was actually waiting to meet Skylar who asked her to meet her there. Hearing footsteps, she glanced up to see Skylar walking over, hands tucked in her sweatpants. She held the joint away, "are you cool with the smoke, 'cause I could put it out?"

"Oh, I don't mind." She waved it off, taking a seat on the bench. "With the way I'm feelin' I might take a hit myself."

Y/n exhaled and frowned, turning to face her teammate. "What's wrong?"

"You asked why Daniel wasn't with us at the pool today. That's because he's staying at a hotel. And he's on a flight back to Seattle in the morning to pack up his stuff and move out." She sighed, reaching over to pull her into a hug, Sky immediately crumbling in her arms. "I'm so sorry baby."

She pressed a kiss to her head, rubbing her back softy. "You wanna tell me what happened?"

She sniffled, pulling away and wiping her tears. "I took your advice and we went to therapy together. Literally two sessions in, four if you count the ones we took separately, the therapist tells me that Daniel was cheating on me. At first, I didn't believe him. But it kept bugging me so I finally just confronted him and he admitted it."

"You don't deserve that. I'm really sorry- and I know that's not enough, but seriously, I am." Skylar didn't reply, just moving closer to hug y/n, the woman instantly wrapping an arm around her. Nothing else needed to said. She just needed to be held. To be in the comfort of her best friend's arms.

"You wanna come back to my place? I'll make you some tea, or late night snack like old times." Skylar smiled softly, nodding her head against her. "I'd love that."

Y/n took one last hit of the joint before putting it out and setting it on the bench. It was Florida. Someone would pick it up and smoke the rest of it. They got up and went to y/n's apartment, quietly stepping inside and turning on the lights. Y/n used the control panel to dim them so they weren't so bright, a feature Sarah insisted on installing. It was one of the few things she didn't regret spending her money on.

"Sarah's asleep so we gotta be a little quiet." Y/n mumbled, stepping into the kitchen, Skylar taking off her shoes and following her. She completely forgot about Sarah and that only further dampened her mood.

"Now, I'm not the best cook in the world but I'm a lot better than Marina so this should be promising." Sky laughed lightly, watching y/n shuffle around the kitchen for certain things. She opened up the fridge and it was nearly empty. Pursing her lips awkwardly, she glanced over at an amused Skylar. "So...I may have forgot to go grocery shopping. How does a bowl of cereal sound?"

"That sounds good to me," she smiled, taking a seat on the stool. She got a bowl together for her before they moved to the living room, sitting down on the comfortable couch. "Have you made a decision on a team yet?" While she was genuinely curious, she also just needed to distract herself from discussing her broken marriage.

She shook her head, exhaling softly. "Not yet. I'm torn between Indiana and LA."

Skylar hummed, taking another bite of her cereal. "Have you possibly considered...maybe, Seattle?"

"I have, but Sarah doesn't think it's a good idea. She doesn't like the weather there." Of course she said that. This time Skylar didn't hold back an eye roll. This redhead was really irritating her. "You're seriously letting her make decisions for you?"

"I'm not letting her do anything. I'm just taking her feelings into consideration cause we're gonna be living together. I wanna make sure she's comfortable too." It was thoughtful, and on other circumstances Skylar would've found that endearing. But it wasn't for the right person. It should've been for her, not Sarah.

"That's actually really sweet. But, you should really consider Seattle." She set her bowl to the side, shifting closer to her, a little too close for friends. "We could finally be teammates in the W, like we always wanted, remember? You want that with me, right? To be best friends winning championships together?" She raised her hand, resting it on her cheek softly.

She smiled softly, getting lost into her best friend's eyes...just like old times. Maybe it was the weed, but she felt those old feelings returning to her the more she got closer with Skylar. "Of course I want that. I've always wanted that with you."

"So let's do that. Let's be together again." Skylar whispered, eyes mirroring her love. She didn't mean together as in friends. And y/n knew that.

"What about Sarah?"

"Forget her. She can't love you, not in the ways that I can, baby. You're supposed to be with me. We were made for each other." She slowly moved to climb over her lap, y/n not fighting it at all. All the emotions she felt in college were coming back, the love she had for Skylar, the need to do anything to please her, to make her feel loved. All of it.

Her voice dropped to a whisper, inching closer to her, hearts racing. "Let me love you in the way you deserve, y/n."

She sighed softly, rubbing her back before gently moving her off. "You should go."

"Did I do something wrong?"

"No, and that's the problem. That's why you gotta go." Y/n exhaled, getting up and walking over to the door to let her out. She didn't argue, just quietly making her way out, disappointment etched all across her face.

It was 2:30 in the morning when there was a knock on Skylar's door. She groaned, holding her pillow over her head, hoping they'd just take the hint and go away. They didn't. She groaned, pulling herself out of bed and making her way down the hall to the door. She unlocked the door and pulled it open, surprised when she was faced with y/n. It was only hours ago that she was basically kicked out of her apartment.

"I broke up with Sarah," she breathed out, and it looked like she ran up the stairs trying to get to her with how breathless she was. "I want you. It's always been you, Sky."

Skylar couldn't even fight her smile, pulling her inside and bringing their lips together for the first time since 2013. Y/n kicked the door shut behind her, sliding her arms around Skylar's waist to bring her closer. Pulling away for air, she cupped her face gently, Skylar leaning into them with loving eyes. "I'll go to Seattle with you. Let's finish what we started in Notre Dame."

She grinned excitedly, pulse racing as she brought her back into a kiss. She wrapped her arms around her neck and jumped up, her legs wrapping around y/n's waist. "Let's do it, baby."

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