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plot: reader is predominantly known as a'ja's weakness

trope: acquaintances to lovers

pairings: wbb black! reader x a'ja wilson

warnings: child abuse, cheating

a/n: need her so bad 🙂‍↕️ more one-shots to come! 🫶

》* 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • 。* 。° 。* 。 • ˚《

Y/n hasn't played ball in years, since 2018 to be exact. The year she had wiped the floor with A'ja Wilson. Ever since that year, she retired from basketball and the WNBA. She had no plans to come back. Nobody really knew why she left. She never gave a reason. She just didn't show up the next season and kinda just disappeared after that. Still, nobody ever forgot how good she was. So everyone went a little crazy when they announced that she was coming back from retirement to play for the New York Liberty in the 2024 season.

A'ja found out the news via Sydney Colson.

"How do we all feel about y/n coming back? I'm here for it, I can't lie."

A'ja raised a brow as she untied her shoes, "what do you mean?"

"Wait- you don't know yet?" Syd grinned mischievously, loving that she was the one to break the news. "I thought Nike would've told you since they signed her back," she added, her teammate just utterly confused. "You tellin' me y/n is back from retirement, and she signed with Nike?"

"Yeah, you didn't know?" Kelsey was honestly surprised given A'ja always knew about stuff like this.

"No, I did not." A'ja blinked, and grabbed her phone just to make sure her teammates weren't playing a prank on her. There it was. Trending topic on Twitter the minute she opened it. And of course they started posting videos of y/n consistently cooking A'ja in her rookie season. "This is a nightmare."

"You was a rookie though. This time you'll be prepared for her," Chelsea encouraged, trying to think positive...even though she knew y/n was gonna mop the floor with her at least once this season.

"I need to get back in that gym." A'ja mumbled, putting her shoes back on immediately.

"She gettin' six blocks flashbacks." Syd joked and A'ja did not find it funny. Those six blocks haunted her.

"I thought you had a photoshoot today?" Alysha asked, watching her teammate rush to lace her shoes so she could get in more practice time.

"I can be a little late!" A'ja waved it off before she was running out the door.

》* 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • 。* 。° 。* 。 • ˚《

"Which shoes do you prefer to wear?" Y/n glanced up from her phone, seeing three boxes of Nike shoes held out in front of her to choose from. She was doing a Nike shoot with her new Liberty teammate Sabrina Ionescu, so it felt right to go with her signature shoe. She picked the box with Sab's shoe and the woman nodded, placing that box to the side and leaving with the other pairs.

Her makeup artist was trying to get her to talk about the retirement- she could tell by the way she implicated it often, but y/n was good at avoiding a topic when it made her uncomfortable. When she was done, she changed into the outfit they had put aside for her. She had a pretty good Nike stylist.

Sab stepped into her dressing room as she was looking at herself in the mirror. "They told me you're wearing my shoe. I'm honored," the blonde said in a bubbly tone, still very excited that y/n was gonna be her teammate this year. She was positive that a championship was in their future. She cleared her throat, "sorry, I'm fangirling too much."

"It's okay. Fangirling is better than having your teammates not care about you," y/n replied, adjusting her trousers to hang a bit lower on her so the Nike band was more visible for the shoot. It was a simple yet sporty sophisticated look. Before Sab could ask about the retirement, she added, "I like your shoe. It's comfortable. You did good."

"Thank you," Sab blushed, fiddling with her hands nervously.

They got a knock on the door and Sab pulled it open, "hi, sorry to bother, but are you both ready for the shoot? We have another Nike athlete who needs the photographer as well. Someone booked the shoots at the same time unfortunately, so we'll have to rush. We're very sorry for the inconvenience."

"That's okay. Just make sure it doesn't happen again. I don't like to be in a rush." Y/n smiled kindly, stepping out and following the man who was gonna lead them down to the shoot. Sab quickly followed after her and they stepped into the elevator. They went up only one floor when it opened up to A'ja Wilson and her agent by her side. Sab smiled, "hi A'ja."

A'ja put on a smile, avoiding y/n's eyes, "hey Sab."

Y/n remained in the back of the elevator as the two stepped inside. A'ja moved to the back right beside her, and she noticed Sab trying not to laugh cause she knew the history there. "Glad to see you're back," A'ja spoke, subtlety taking a glance over at the athlete. She tried not to get warm inside. She silently questioned if this was the right shoot 'cause she was looking a little too good in that suit. Her abs were glistening in the elevator light and that was enough to make her look away- feeling like a creep for staring too long.

"Thank you. It's good to be back," she replied smoothly, her voice a bit more raspy compared to a few years ago.

They stopped at the correct floor and they stepped out. Y/n held a hand out, letting A'ja and Sab go before her. She stepped out last and followed behind the workers, her hands tucked in her pockets. "Hey y/n! Catch!" Sab said, throwing a basketball her way. She caught it without looking and smiled to herself, spinning it on her finger.

"Where do y'all want me?" Y/n asked, focusing back on the shoot and as Sab and A'ja were deciding which ball they wanted to hold.

She did some singles first, the other two just watching as she effortlessly perfected different poses. You'd think she was a model and not an athlete. "She's perfect at this," Sab mumbled, pulling out her phone to take some pictures herself.

The photographer was loving it, super impressed. "Okay, let's get some more oil on her abs," he added, and someone was quick to grab some baby oil. "I didn't have enough on them?" Y/n asked, feigning confusion when a woman rubbed some more onto her stomach and around her entire exposed midsection, even the back.

"Not enough for your set of abs. It's not your fault. We didn't know they'd look that good on camera." He reassured, ushering the woman away cause she was clearly doing a bit too much.

"Oh okay, I'm gonna pretend I know what that means." She spoke, getting back into another pose, following his directions.

"She does got pretty nice abs," A'ja mumbled, causing Sab to squint for a few seconds. The blonde glanced down at her stomach and pursed her lips awkwardly, pulling her pants up a bit more.

"Okay, let's remove the jacket," he directed. She nodded, and reached for it but someone was already pulling it off for her. Before she could speak, another person was putting some oil on her arms and upper back. It was quite overstimulating for her but she didn't wanna complain.

She did a few more poses before she finally got a break. There was a chair right beside A'ja with her name on it, literally, so she sat there and someone handed her a water bottle and protein bar that she hadn't asked for. "Okay," she mumbled, coming to the acceptance that she had no control of this.

"You can tell them to back off a little if they're making you uncomfortable." A'ja input, obviously knowing how overbearing they can be on shoots, especially with new athletes.

"Oh," y/n nods, taking that into mind as she set the stuff down next to her chair.

"You don't do shoots often?" A'ja asked, but she already knew the answer. Y/n hardly ever was seen in photoshoots unless it was in a basketball jersey. She just wanted an excuse to keep the conversation going, given she'd barely gotten words from her. Y/n was typically a chilled out person. She reminded her a lot of her friend Jackie.

"No. My momma said I wasn't pretty enough to do them," y/n shrugged, watching Sab posing with the ball. She was very proud of the blonde and how far she'd come.

"What? That's insane. You're so hot- I mean, you're attractive," A'ja stammered out, internally yelling at herself for carelessly blurting that out.

Y/n seemed pretty nonchalant about it, just offering the smallest smile her way, "'preciate it."

The way she kinda just cut a conversation off completely irritated A'ja, it always had. She just gave up talking to her after that. And luckily y/n had to get back up to get pictures with Sabrina. After that, they could leave for the day.

"Can I keep this ball for my nephew?" Y/n said, spinning the Wilson ball onto her fingers. It was black and her nephew was having an all black phase so she knew he'd love it.

"Yeah, of course," the woman said, waving it off.

"Thanks." Y/n smiled to herself, walking back to the elevator. Sab quickly said goodbye to A'ja before running over to catch the elevator. "Do you have any plans for today?" Sab asked, silently hoping she didn't so they could hangout some more. "Uh, yeah, kinda. I was just gon' grab a bite and shoot some hoops at the park. These kids spotted me in my car and asked me to come to the park after they got outta school."

"You mind if I join you?" Sab asked, a little amused that she was taking her time to go mop the floor with some kids on the court.

"Sure. You cool wit' In-N-Out?" She asked, tucking a hand into her pocket.

"Love it," Sab grinned.

She wasn't joking about actually pulling up to the park. She had ordered a lot more food just to bring to the kids. She parked her car and they walked down to the court. She whistled at the boys. They excitedly ran over, a few of them trying to remain nonchalant to impress her. "I brought a friend. Be chill."

"Holy shit," one of them pulled his glasses off, his eyes widening at the sight of Sabrina. "My middle name is chill," he scoffed, smirking at Sab who just awkwardly smiled.

"Don't embarrass me. Y'all hungry? Shit, what am I sayin'? Course you are." She barely got the finish her sentence before the boys grabbed the bags of food impatiently. One of them named Andre, hit his friends arms and scolded them for their manners, "say thank you to the pretty ladies!"

She chuckled softly at the round of different thank yous she got. "No problem."

"You sure you can still hoop? 35 seems pretty old to me," a boy named Kyle commented towards y/n, causing Sab to wince. She raised a brow at his audacity, "excuse you? Anybody ever tell you to respect your elders."

"So you admit you're an elder."

She scoffed as his friends winced and some laughed. "Yeah, and this elder gon' whoop yo' butt on that court. So keep eatin' your burger and shush." Sab laughed, tossing her the ball and she stepped onto the court as his friends laughed at him. She bent down and stretched her legs, ready to humble these boys. "Who's first?"

One of them just sighed in defeat, "man, she gon' slaughter us."

"I'ma keep my dignity and sit this one out."

》* 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • 。* 。° 。* 。 • ˚《

"Why are you rushing to leave?" A'ja questioned her friend, noticing how much she was rushing. Kelsey awkwardly glanced up from her shoes, everyone's eyes on her. "Uh, no reason. I may or may not be on my way to pick up my friend at the airport and she may or may not be y/n."

"What?!" A'ja gasped, not expecting to hear that at all. Since when did y/n and Kelsey become friends and why was she just finding out now?

"Are y'all secretly dating?" A'ja almost choked on her water hearing Syd's question. She looked to Kels who shook her head, "no, we ain't datin'. We're just friends. I didn't tell y'all 'cause you're gonna be jealous." She frowned, offended that those words were clearly directed at her...for some reason.

"Since when did that happen?" Alysha asked.

"She reached out to me a couple weeks ago." Kelsey smiled, very proud of herself for making friends with her. A'ja raised her brows, "wait- so you knew she was comin' back to the W? Do you know why she retired?"

"No, I found out when everyone else did. She reached out the next day though. She also never talks about her retirement, like it has literally never come up." Kelsey explained, grabbing her stuff and pulling her bag over her shoulder. "Anyways, I really gotta go before I'm late. She hates airports, like being in them for more than 30 minutes infuriates her."

"You look jealous." Syd noted, studying A'ja's face when Kelsey left. "What?" She scoffed, baffled by the accusation, "I'm not jealous. I am perfectly fine with KP's newfound friendship with our competition."

"You mean your competition," Jackie corrected, personally not really in much competition with y/n.

"Yes, my competition 'cause she's secretly planning to make my entire year hell. That's why she hardly speaks. She's plotting." A'ja said, and they couldn't help but think she was maybe a little paranoid.

Syd was visibly concerned. "Do you hear yourself...?"

Meanwhile, y/n was rushing to get out of the airport, and as she got out to the parking lot away from people, she found Kelsey. She quickly put her stuff in the back and climbed into the passenger seat. "That was stressful. Thanks for pickin' me up. I hate taxis."

"You mean Ubers?"

"Uh yeah, sure. Is that another word for taxi?"

Kelsey tried not to snicker, just nodding in support, "yes, it is."

"How was practice? You look..tired. You sure I ain't botherin' you with this?" Kelsey smiled at her concern, she was always worried about other people's feelings. "It was good. Don't worry, you're not botherin' me. I'm happy to help you out."

"Well, I appreciate you," y/n said, sending her a small smile.

"Alright, where does your ex wife live again?" Kelsey pulled up her phone and y/n gave her the address.

They drove there and got there after 30 minutes of driving. Kelsey opted to wait in the car as y/n went in to get her stuff. She knocked on the door and waited, hearing the footsteps of her ex wife approaching the door. She pulled it open and hummed, "good to see you're on time for once."

Y/n smiled bitterly, "someone's gotta be the adult 'round here." Her ex wife, Janelle, rolled her eyes, pulling the door open wider to let her inside. "You better hurry up 'cause I got company coming over in 20 minutes."

"Is that right? Which one is it? Samantha or Courtney?" She asked with a teasing smirk, Janelle just rolling her eyes again. The two women she named were just two of the women she cheated on her with. There was more, y/n just forgot their names.

"I ain't got time for your games, y/n."

"You never did, Janelle." She gathered up her suitcases that were pushed up against the wall in the closet and picked them up pretty effortlessly. Her ex hummed as she glanced over her body, "I'm gon' miss all that strength."

"Don't start. I ain't stayin' for a goodbye." Y/n muttered, walking past her to go down the stairs.

Janelle scowled, "fine, be that way."

"Lose my number too," she added on her way out. She opened the trunk and put her stuff inside before getting back in the passenger seat. "That was fast." Kelsey mused, driving away from the house that Janelle only bought with the divorce money. Y/n was kind enough to actually give her anything. Kelsey didn't understand why and probably never would.

"Yeah, I wasn't boutta let her keep my jersey collection." y/n mumbled, glad she got them back 'cause Janelle would've sold them if she didn't.

"Sue was callin' you by the way." Kelsey grabbed her phone off the charger to hand it to her in case she wanted to call Sue back. "On, yeah, she be checkin' in on me a lot. I'll call her back later," y/n mumbled, tucking her phone into her pocket.

"You wanna grab a bite to eat?"

"I could go for some pizza."

"Pizza it is."

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Y/n's first game back in the Liberty was probably one of the most talked about moments currently. She shot 27 points and they obviously beat the Washington Mystics. She worked well with the whole team, it was almost like she never left the sport. She even dunked again. She dunked. And currently, her dunk was the only thing A'ja could think about during practice.

"I guarantee she did that just to show me up. When has she ever dunked?" A'ja ranted on their way back to the locker room. "She dunked in her last game if I recall correctly," Syd remarked, silently wondering why A'ja was so fixated on this woman. "I promise I'm not judging you...I'm just curious, so don't take offense when I ask this question."

A'ja frowned in confusion, sitting down in her chair. "What do you mean?"

Syd blinked, "are you gay?"

"What? No- what? No. No. I am not gay." A'ja denied, laughing in disbelief but her friends weren't buying it. Not even Kate, their rookie, was buying it. She had her suspicions...she just wasn't brave enough to call it out like Syd just did. "Sab said you were checking out y/n during the photoshoot," Kelsey recalled.

Syd raised a brow and A'ja was quick to try and deny this. "Wha- no, that's not true. I wasn't checking her out. I was...just admiring her figure 'cause it's impressive how good her body looked for her age ya know? I swear it wasn't like that."

"She's 35 not 50, of course she has a nice body. That doesn't explain you checking her out way more than once from what Sab recalled," Kelsey pointed out. A'ja frowned, "okay, I'm seriously gonna fight Sabrina next time I see her. All of y'all are wrong, dead wrong. I'm just not blind when it comes to good lookin' people, and she just happens to be one. That don't make me gay."

"That's what a gay person would say," Chelsea stated.

"I hate y'all bad."

"You're a homophobic gay too?" Syd asked, holding back a laugh to act serious.

"Don't count. Kelsey isn't gay," A'ja argued.

Kels pursed her lips awkwardly, "yeah...I'm starting to question that myself."

》* 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • 。* 。° 。* 。 • ˚《

Their first game against Liberty was getting closer and closer. It was gonna be in Aces territory. Y/n got there two days early without her teammates so she and Kelsey could hang out like they planned. "Guess who's waiting outside for me," Kelsey spoke, causing Syd to raise a brow, "a man or a woman?"

"Better. A'ja's girl crush."

A'ja's eyes embarrassingly shot up with quickness, "Y/n's picking you up?"

"Yup. She got here early so we could hangout." Kelsey confirmed, grabbing her bag and pulling it over her shoulder. A'ja chuckled awkwardly, picking up her stuff as well, "what a coincidence, I am also leaving right now. Let's walk out together." Kelsey snorts, knowing what she was doing but she decided it wasn't worth teasing.

They walked out together, and A'ja literally followed her to the parking lot where Y/n was parked in Kelsey's spot leaning against the car waiting for her. "Nice facility y'all got here," she comments before she noticed A'ja trailing behind Kelsey. "How you doin' Wilson?"

She pursed her lips, fighting back a smile, "I'm doin' good. How are you?"

"Been better. You coming with us or...?" She truly didn't know, cause it seemed like A'ja was full on walking with Kelsey. Not that she'd have a problem with it. She thought A'ja was a cool person. "Oh, yeah, I can't, sorry. I have plans...like a date."

Kelsey scrunched her brows in confusion, glancing up at her friend, "no you don't-"

"Yes, I do!" She leaned down to her ear, "I gotta seem mysterious."

"Yeah, she got a date," Kelsey shrugged nonchalantly, opening up the trunk to toss her stuff into the back.

"Have fun," y/n added, sending her a small wave before she got into the car. A'ja smiled widely, and Kelsey chuckled in amusement, "good luck on your imaginary date, A."

A'ja smiled in satisfaction, strutting over to her car, "I will, thank you."

Kelsey got into the car and noticed y/n glancing in the mirror to make sure A'ja got in her car alright. "...who's she goin' on a date with?" She was afraid that question would be asked. The first person she could think of was A'ja's NBA friend, Bam. "Uhh, she's going out with this NBA player, not sure if you know him..."

"What's his name?"

"Bam Adebayo."

"Oh okay," she shrugged it off, pulling out of the parking lot, whispering to herself, "definitely sellin' that jersey."

》* 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • 。* 。° 。* 。 • ˚《

The Liberty had 12 wins with only 2 losses so far this season. The Aces had 6 wins and 6 losses. It wasn't looking good for the team, especially given that the fans were expecting a potential 3-peat for the champions. Y/n wasn't a big fan of letting that happen. She came to New York to help them get their first championship, so losing wasn't really an option.

Next month, the Olympic break started, and y/n was busting her ass out there hoping to get recruited for the USA team. She hadn't got the call yet, but she had high hopes. If not, she was still going to Paris to watch and support 'cause at the end of the day, being in the Olympics was a huge deal for these women.

Now, typically she wasn't one to dress up when arriving to the game, but her teammates loved her style so they encouraged it. Sab was very set on making y/n feel more comfortable in the league. She knew a little bit about the retirement now, at least she had her suspicions based on the little things y/n mentioned here and there. The whole team was pretty protective of her- which she didn't understand but appreciated.

"Y/n, hurry up!" Sab called with a light chuckle, holding out her hand and y/n rushed over to her side, struggling to walk in these heels Betnijah gave her. "I don't know how y'all walk in these." y/n mumbled, using Sabrina to steady herself as they walked to their locker room in the arena.

"Someone please get me some sneakers," y/n complained, stepping into the locker room and kicking off the heels.

"You not feelin' the heels?" Betnijah asked jokingly, picking them up from the floor to set them in her locker.

"No ma'am. My feet ain't built to arch like that." Y/n remarked, sitting down with a sigh of relief.

"I feel you on that," Stewie comments in agreement.

A couple hours later, it was game time. The Vegas fans were quite passionate, so she was definitely prepared to be booed. They got out on the court and y/n shared a hug with Kelsey first, then Jackie, then, Chelsea, then Kiah, and finally it was time to hug A'ja, or shake her hand. Y/n smiled and pulled her into a hug, setting one hand on her lower back and the other at her the back of her neck. "I ain't goin' easy on you baby."

A'ja got flashbacks hearing that. It was the first thing y/n ever said to her. It always made her feel some things. She smiled, "I ain't no rookie, you gon' have to bring it harder."

She pulled away, her hand lingering, "I always bring it."

Stewie nudged her and she stepped away to prepare for jumpball. It was her and A'ja, just like the first time. They were the same height, but y/n always jumped just a bit higher. She hit the ball to Sab to kick off the 1st quarter. A'ja pushed up against her as she got the ball from Nyara. She jumped to toss the ball through the hoop, and it went in, obviously.

Throughout the game, she consistently messed up A'ja's shots, and A'ja did the same, including block her three times. Unfortunately, the Liberty were just a bit better tonight, taking the win by eleven points, half courtesy of y/n. She scored the highest in her team, again. It was a good eventful game nonetheless. She enjoyed seeing and feeling A'ja's performance improve. In a way, she was proud. A'ja had come far, and she deserved to finally be recognized for it.

A'ja felt her breath deepen, all her rational thought retreating as y/n was coming her way. "Good to see you finally land a block on me, Wilson." She acknowledged, taking the woman's hand to shake. "Three blocks," A'ja corrected with a bashful smile. "Three blocks," she repeated with an amused smile, letting go of her hand to follow her teammates off the court.

On her way out, she came to Kelsey's side and leaned down to her ear, "shoot me A'ja's number." Kelsey nodded, patting her back before they split ways again. She tried to act casual about it, but she kind of wanted to freak out on A'ja's behalf. She waited until everyone was back in the locker room to bring it up.

"So, y/n may or may not have asked me to shoot her your number." Kelsey confessed, kicking off her shoes and nudging them to the side.

"What?" A'ja blinked in shock, beginning to feel warm inside.

"You want me to give it to her?"

"Yes!" She said as if it was obvious.

Syd quickly shut that down, "absolutely not! I thought you were playing hard to get? You're basically giving her the cookie jar, I'm just sayin'. She's got to work for it if she really wants it."

"I hate to say it...but Syd's right." Tip voiced, scratching her brow.

"You're right." She turned to Kelsey who was waiting for instructions, "tell her she has to earn my number," she declared.

"She ain't gon' like that," Kelsey chuckled, sending those exact words to her friend.

"Good. That's exactly what I want."

》* 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • 。* 。° 。* 。 • ˚《

Olympic break came quite fast. Y/n, Sab, and Stewie all got chosen to represent Team USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Getting chosen, it was the first time she actually felt like all work had finally paid off. She felt appreciated. It was still a wonder how she fell out of love with the sports years ago. At least that's what the fans and media speculated. Her retirement was still a mystery. A mystery A'ja planned to figure out now that she was gonna be spending a lot more time with the woman.

Y/n kind of kept to herself during training camp, only really chatting with her Liberty teammates. It was a bit of a surprise when Alyssa Thomas started a conversation with her. The two never got along all that well, especially on the court, but they realized they actually had some stuff in common. And Alyssa's wife may have been the one to encourage her.

A lot of the women- especially the vets who've worked with y/n in the past, never really thought to talk to her. She always looked visibly uncomfortable and miserable, so it made people not want to talk with her. When Lyss talked to her, it got more of the others to chat with her as well, seeing y/n more comfortable with herself compared to a few years ago when she could barely make eye contact with you.

From the other side of the court, A'ja was sitting with BG, both of them silently observing y/n and Lyss, the two laughing it up as they ate some food they bought earlier. "It's nice to see her so comfortable." A'ja comments just as Diana and Kels sat down next to them. "It's the most comfortable she's looked...ever," BG added.

"Obviously. She ain't got her mom in the corner screaming in her ear." DT retorts like that information was obvious, and it was to her. She watched y/n come up in the league as a rookie, so obviously she knew her behavior a bit more than everyone else. And the first thing she noticed when y/n came back was the lack of that old screaming woman by her side.

She noticed how silent they got and raised a brow. "What? Y'all didn't notice? That crazy lady hasn't been seen once since she came back. Why do y'all think she's so comfortable now?"

"I'm partially offended that you noticed that before me," A'ja mumbled. Hearing that, she felt really bad for her. On the other hand it explained a lot of her behavior.

"I forgot about that crazy lady. She was always yellin' at that poor girl." BG recalled, DT nodded- also recalling those times y/n's mother consistently degraded her performance. "I know, we all felt bad for her. Sue felt so guilty after their first game together, she stayed up all night baking her a cake," Diana added.

"That explains why Sue's always checkin' up on her," Kelsey noted.

Back on the other side, Sab tiredly plopped down beside y/n, resting her head on her shoulder. "I feel like Bambi."

"I never watched Bambi," y/n mumbled in realization, receiving two looks of disbelief. "Seriously?" Lyss and Sab deadpanned in unison. She nods, casual biting into her sandwich, "mhm, my mom never let me watch it. She said watching it would make me think it's okay to be weak."

"She sounds like a bitch," Alyssa voiced, patting y/n's sympathetically.

Sab was honestly trying not to cry hearing that. It broke her heart anytime she heard y/n speak so casually about how badly her mom treated her. "And a monster," Sab added, rubbing y/n's back in support and sadness. Y/n didn't disagree, but also couldn't fully agree. So she opted for a thankful nod.

"Hey, you wanna come get dinner with us tonight?" Sab asked, hoping AT said yes 'cause she hoped she was actually interested in hanging out with them and not just talking to y/n because she felt obligated to. She also knew y/n wasn't going to ask, so she was gonna do it for her.

"No pressure," y/n added, not wishing for anyone to feel forced to hang out with her.

"I ain't got plans," Lyss shrugged, causing Sab to crack a smile, satisfied with that answer. She was glad y/n was making more friends outside of her Liberty teammates. It was good progress.

Y/n's eyes shot up off the floor when she noticed DT approaching them. She gulped nervously, the woman always making her just a bit nervous. Diana wasn't even that much older than her either. They were maybe 5 years apart. She didn't even say anything, just casually taking a seat near them. Y/n and AT shared a look, both choosing to just shrug it off.

Of course Sab was happy to greet the woman. "Hey, Dee."

"Hey blondie." DT nods, acknowledging her presence and she was quite happy with the response, even if she didn't particularly enjoy being called blondie...something about DT saying it, felt right.

》* 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • 。* 。° 。* 。 • ˚《

The whole group arrived at the airport for their flight to Paris and to say y/n was nervous was an understatement. Not only did she hate airports...she hated airplanes even more. She had a huge fear of them despite being on them so many times for her job. She really didn't want to sit by the window, so she opted for an isle seat.

A'ja pushed past Sab to grab the window seat beside y/n. "You mind?" Y/n glanced up from the pillow in her lap and shook her head, "go for it, as long as you keep the window covered at all times." A'ja didn't know why she'd say that, but she was fine with it if it meant she got to sit beside her.

Sab was a little sad A'ja snatched her seat, so she took the isle seat in the row next to her friend. Kelsey didn't really have a preference, she was tired and needed to sit and closest seat was the window seat next to Sab. She didn't care, she just grabbed her blanket and sat down, kicking the chair back to relax. Sab leaned over to whisper, "A'ja pushed me to sit by y/n. What's that about?"

Kelsey snickered in amusement, "don't take it personal, she's got a crush on her."

"Oh, that's cute," Sab smiled, suddenly okay with being pushed.

Y/n pulled her blanket over her and grabbed her headphones, connecting them to her phone to play some piano music, that typically calmed her down during flights. She kicked her seat back and closed her eyes, mumbling a prayer under her breath. A'ja found herself just studying y/n's behavior, it was a side of her she'd never seen.

Sab leaned over and grabbed y/n's hand, "did you take your pill already?" She nodded in reply, "yeah, took two."

"Pill?" A'ja questioned, raising a curious brow.

"Melatonin." Y/n answered shortly, grabbing a sleeping mask to put over her eyes so the light wouldn't bother her. A'ja couldn't help but be a little disappointed that she wasn't gonna be able to talk to y/n throughout the flight, but she understood why.

It wasn't a surprise when y/n was knocked out before the plane was even in the air. It was even less than a shocker when y/n was knocked out the entire flight. She didn't wake up not once- to the point A'ja was slightly concerned. She even found herself checking her pulse a couple times, and Stewie reassured her that this was normal for y/n to do.

"She don't even get up to use the restroom?" A'ja deadpanned, squinting at the sleeping woman, she looked quite peaceful. "Nope. She doesn't drink or eat anything before a flight to avoid waking up." Stewie answered, always a bit amused by y/n's habits. She always had everything planned in her head. It was honestly impressive.

When the plane landed, DT smacked y/n in the face with her pillow, causing the woman to groan. "Ow." Diana snickered in amusement and walked to the exit. Realizing the plane was back on the ground, she wasted no time gathering her stuff and getting the fuck off. She sighed on relief when she stepped foot back on land. "Thank you, Jesus."

"You feel better?" A'ja asked, following closely behind her.

"I will when we get outta here," y/n replied, despite being on ground- and she was thankful, she still hated airports with a passion.

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Y/n woke up to knocking on her door- they were in Paris, staying at the Olympic Village with the rest of the other athletes. She groaned, pulling the pillow over her head, she heard the door unlock anyways. Sab had an extra key to her room so that's how she knew it was just her. The blonde walked inside and flipped on the lights, "morning sunshine."

She didn't reply, falling right back into her slumber. Sab rolled her eyes, pulling the covers off of her body and she jumped at the cold air touching her skin, quick to snatch the covers back. "Come on, wake up. We're in Paris. You can't sleep through the entire trip. We're gonna go get some breakfast and get back in time so we don't miss our bus."

"I don't like breakfast," she lied, trying to get some extra sleep in.

"We both know that's a lie."

After she and Sab got themselves some breakfast, they joined the rest of the group at the bus, getting there just in time. Y/n took a seat and Alyssa sat down in the empty spot beside her- causing A'ja to frown before she was tugged over by Chelsea. "You know you snore very loud," AT comments casually, resting her head back against the seat- still quite tired.

Y/n hummed, "so I've been told."

They didn't say anything else to each other, just sitting in each other's presence as the bus drove off. She enjoyed that about Alyssa. They never felt inclined to start a conversation. They could sit there and be silent without feeling bothered.

After practice, y/n wanted to go straight back to her room and sleep for an entire day. And, surprisingly, Sab didn't stop her from doing just that. So, a few of them were having dinner together, with the lack of her presence. It was A'ja, Stewie, Sab, Jewell, and Kelsey. A'ja was hoping to see y/n at Sab's side, and was left disappointed when it was just the blonde.

"I thought y/n was comin' with you?" Kelsey queried.

Sab chuckled, shrugging a shoulder, "she was more interested in sleeping."

"We should bring something back for her," A'ja suggests. They all agreed, but Sab didn't want to bother y/n so she opted to just give A'ja the key to her room so she could deliver the food herself. A'ja was happy to do that. Ever since she declined giving y/n her number, she thought she messed everything up. Y/n hadn't mentioned it once, so it seemed like she was upset about it.

Approximately two hours later, A'ja was knocking on the door. She didn't want to just unlock the door if y/n was already awake. Y/n groaned tiredly, pulling the pillow over her head. "Sab- if it's you, just use the key! Stop givin' me a headache with your damn knockin'." She exclaimed, clearly irritated with the pounding on her door.

A'ja shrugs, unlocking the door and stepping inside. "It's not Sab, it's A'ja."

Y/n shot up from the bed with wide eyes, "...this is embarrassing." She cautiously pushed the covers off of her, adorning a basic pair of gray sweats with a white tank top. "I brought you dinner- since you skipped. And I hoped we could have a chance to talk," A'ja spoke, hoping to break the awkward tension.

Y/n patted the bed as a gesture for her to come sit. A'ja kicked off her shoes and walked over, sitting on the bed and handed the food over to her. "This about you rejectin' my number or is this basketball related?" She questioned bluntly, not dancing around it at all.

"I didn't reject your number-"

"Right, you refused to give me yours," y/n corrected as she casually opened the takeout box and grabbed a fork.

"I'm sorry- did me not giving you my number offend you?"

"No. Why would that offend me?" She smiled, taken back by the assumption. She took a bite of the food and hummed as A'ja was trying to gather her thoughts. Everything about y/n confused her. Not receiving a reply, she continued, "I'm not new to this. You're playin' hard to get. But that's okay, I've always enjoyed a good chase, baby."

Everything she just said gave her butterflies and she had no idea how to respond to that. The only thing she processed was that y/n actually liked her in the same way she did. She had no idea what to do with that information. She needed to call Sydney for help as soon as possible. "I-I should go," A'ja stuttered out.

She could do nothing but watch as A'ja rushed to leave her room. "Well, now I'm offended."

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Y/n had stayed back to practice some more with one of their assistant coaches, Kara. What she didn't know was that Kara had invited A'ja to practice with them. Y/n assumed it would be a one on one practice. Apparently not. She couldn't help but question her coach when she seen A'ja. "I thought you said you wanted to coach me one on one?"

"I did, but I noticed the way you and A'ja play is very similar, so I'm tackling two birds with one stone."

"A'ight, cool wit' me." She shrugged it off, kneeling down to lace up her sneakers. She wasn't sure how to feel to be completely honest. She didn't think she would have chemistry with A'ja on the court. She was so used to playing against her, she hadn't ever thought about sharing the court with her as teammates.

"Hey. I hope you're cool with me joining you." A'ja said in a somewhat nervous tone. She did feel bad for running out on her like that. She had been spending lots of time thinking about how to apologize but the nervousness took over her and she couldn't do it.

Y/n shrugged it off once again, and A'ja couldn't help but hold some disdain for her nonchalance. "Yeah, it's cool, 'ion really mind. We haven't really practiced together anyways. It could come in handy when we out on the court together."

About two hours later, they were sore as fuck, tired as fuck, and overall they just wanted to eat some food and go to bed. Aside from all that, the practice went really well. They worked on a lot of plays together that could potentially be used in their games when the time came. Their playing styles were very similar, but slightly different. Coach said it made their on court chemistry way better, and she was going to make sure they got to use what they practiced in their actual games.

Y/n had showered and changed into clean clothes so she could just leave, grab a bite, and go back to her room. A'ja had plans to do the same, only she really wanted to do them with y/n. So, she decided now was the perfect time to ask. "Uh, there's this restaurant close to the village I've been wanting to try. Would you maybe wanna join me?"

Y/n glanced up from her phone, a little surprised by her sudden ask. "Uhm, yeah, just lemme cancel wit' Sab real quick."

"Oh? I don't wanna interrupt your plans-"

"You not. I'm half convinced she only asked so I would feel included." She replied, very aware that Sab didn't want her to feel left out by any means. As grateful as she was, sometimes she just preferred to be by herself, and A'ja's company didn't sound so bad. She canceled on Sab, letting her know she was gonna get some dinner with A'ja to which Sab made a 'use protection' joke.

They didn't really talk about much on the way there, just little things about basketball. When they got there, they sat at the bar, and ordered their food and drinks. "So, I feel like I should apologize for running out on you like that. It was so rude of me." Y/n chuckled lightly, the lights glistening against her skin perfectly, and A'ja found herself trying badly not to stare in admiration. "It's okay. That was my fault. I came on a little strong."

A'ja raised a teasing brow, "just a little?"

She cracked a small laugh, nodding her head as her hand found her drink, "okay, maybe a lot."

A'ja couldn't help but catch some cameras on them and that immediately ruined her mood. She did not want those pictures to look like they were on a date- 'cause everyone knew pictures were always blown so out of proportion. And she also wasn't ready for people to start assuming her sexuality when she herself didn't know what she identified as. "Um, I know this was my idea but is it okay if we just take our food to go and finish this up at the room?"

Y/n was a bit caught off guard by the question, but she could tell A'ja was visibly uncomfortable in the setting, so she wasn't about to force her to stay. "Yeah, we can do that."

So they did just that. They got the food in takeout boxes and returned to the village, heading up to A'ja's room. They sat down at the sofa she had in the room that faced a TV for them to watch a show. Not that they paid much attention to it. There was the one question just on A'ja's mind and the more she looked at her, the more she needed to ask. "I have to ask you something- but don't feel obligated to answer."

Y/n had a feeling she knew where this was going but she didn't want to assume so she just waited for the question. A'ja took a breath and met her eyes. "Why did you retire?"

Her eyes drifted off, she hadn't ever talked about it before. But, A'ja felt pretty trustworthy, and she was okay with her knowing. "I was in love with basketball as kid. But, when my mom realized how good I was, she pushed me really hard. She was very tough on me. I hardly got a break. If I did bad in practice, she'd hit me with a wire hanger. If I sucked in a game, she'd scream at me and didn't let me eat. It got the point my teammates would give me food in class."

"The day before my last game, I found her in the hotel room. She had a stroke. I decided that night, I couldn't do it anymore, you know? And at some point in my professional career, basketball just stopped being fun for me. I couldn't keep living like that. So I left."

She seen A'ja's face fall with sympathy, sympathy that she didn't want. She didn't want people to feel bad for her. She just wanted to be normal, to let go of her past and live like she should've from the beginning. "Don't feel bad. She saw me as an opportunity to get out of poverty. I was nothing but a bag of cash to her. It's an unfortunate way to live but I did it, and I got out of it alive."

A'ja took her hands delicately, "I just, I don't understand why you would come back and play after all of that? Wouldn't basketball just be a reminder of the pain?"

She smiled softly, it felt nice to have her feelings be so considered. "It was. When I left, I divorced my wife and I moved to the Philippines. It took me two years to even pick up a basketball. But, these kids recognized me and asked me to play with them so I did, and at that moment I felt like a kid again. Basketball gave me my strength back."

A'ja smiled with her, happy that she could see things in such a positive light. "I'm really happy for you. You deserve all the happiness in the world, seriously. Nobody should ever have to go through that."

"That's really sweet. I appreciate it." She took her hand to press a kiss to it, thankful for her kindness, unknowingly making her really flustered with such a simple action.

A'ja brushed a stray braid behind her ear. "So..um, I'm just curious, tell me if I'm doin' too much. But, why'd you divorce your wife?"

Y/n wasn't bothered with her questions. She figured A'ja just really wanted to know things about her. Maybe it was the start of a friendship, or more. She wanted whatever A'ja did. "It's pretty simple. I found out she was cheatin' on me."

A'ja hummed, not too surprised by that. She met her ex wife once and that woman was not a pleasant person to be around. Although, she was not super focused on that. She had her thoughts on other things. "So like...you've been single ever since?"

Y/n chuckled, nodding her head, "yes, I have. Is that surprising?"

"A little bit. I mean- have you seen yourself? The ladies must be all over you."

She shrugged softly, amused by her words, "yeah, but I don't want those ladies."

Her hands clasped together on her lap, soft seductive eyes meeting A'ja's very shy ones. She found herself leaning towards her, slowly closing the space between them. But A'ja moved away at the last second, an anxious expression mirroring her features. "I'm sorry- I just, I don't want to disappoint you if I don't...like it."

Disappointment couldn't help but fill y/n's heart. She scoffed under her breath, getting up from her spot with a dismissive look. A'ja tried to grab her hand but she pulled away. "I've been through enough. The last thing I need is to be another straight girl's experiment, A'ja."

"No, it's not like that!" A'ja quickly got up and grabbed her hand to turn her around.

"Then tell me what this is."

"I know that I have feelings for you. I know that. I'm just scared that they won't transfer to physical connection. I've never exactly kissed a girl before. This is new to me, y/n." She confessed, nervously searching her eyes for some understanding. Y/n's eyes just fell, guilt seeping through.

She sighed, bringing A'ja into her arms, providing much comfort. A'ja wanted to melt then and there. Y/n's hugs were always nice but this one felt different. "It's okay. We can take it slow. Don't feel pressured."

She pulled away and unexpectedly, A'ja pressed their lips together softly. It was slow at first, testing the waters. She didn't rush it, allowing A'ja her own pace. After five seconds, the pace sped up, and she grabbed onto y/n's waist to guide her to the bed. She pushed her down and climbed over her, ready to connect their lips again until y/n set a hand on her chest to slow her down. "Don't you wanna take this slow?"

"Why? I liked it. And I want more." A'ja stated, very certain with herself. She felt like that kiss just unlocked something inside her.

"Are you sure I'm not rushing you?"

A'ja chuckled softly, shaking her head. She leaned down, her fingers brushing over her jawline as she pressed a small kiss to her cheek. "You know I find it so cute how you're so shy in front of everyone but when you're with me, you're not."

"I could say the same thing about you, Ms. Social Butterfly," she teased.

A'ja smiled shyly, burying her head into her neck, inhaling the scent of her perfume. "I think you're right. We should take it slow."

She pressed a kiss to her head, her hand rubbing her back gently. "I'll be ready whenever you are, beautiful."

»»

The next morning, y/n and A'ja had walked to the bus together hand in hand. A'ja greeted everyone with a cheerful smile like the social butterfly she tended to be whilst y/n had sunk in her seat anxiously. She hated so much attention on her. It's probably why A'ja was talking to everyone to keep it focused on her instead so y/n didn't get overwhelmed.

After A'ja finished talking to Jackie, she sat down beside y/n and took her hand before resting her chin on her shoulder. Y/n grabbed her legs to pull them up over her lap, softly rubbing her thigh. "You're so pretty in the mornings." She mumbled lowly, staring lovingly at her girl.

A'ja blushed, pressing a peck to her lips. "Thank you."

On the contrary, nobody had been surprised by this newfound relationship.

Kelsey had been very relieved. She didn't know what she'd do if they hadn't got together before she left Vegas. And Sab was happy for her teammate, but the thought of her leaving New York for Vegas was sitting at the back of her mind.

Jewell stopped by Chelsea and slapped a twenty in her awaiting hand before walking away with a small scowl. Chelsea smirked, pocketing the money. "I never tell a lie."

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