Chapter Text
Azzi Fudd was born and raised in B.K New York, which meant fear wasn't really part of her emotional vocabulary. Caution? Maybe. Common sense? Occasionally. But fear? Absolutely not. That was exactly why the idea of having a bodyguard annoyed her to no end. The only reason she even agreed was because the bodyguard would be a woman. With a small daughter to protect, Azzi trusted very few men around her... especially ones she didn't know. Call it instincts, call it trauma, call it being a mom... either way, it was non negotiable.
Brielle's conception definitely didn't happen the traditional way. During the early years of Azzi's career, celebrating the end of a tour overseas, one drunk celebration turned into one very questionable decision. She and her drummer at the time had a one night stand they both swore would never be discussed again. Pinky promises, denial, the whole thing. But life has jokes. One missed period later, Azzi found herself staring at a pregnancy test like it had personally betrayed her. Lost, confused, and torn between a skyrocketing career and an unexpected baby, Azzi and the child's father decided to keep the baby and raise her together... despite the fact that they were never a couple and never would be. Unfortunately, when Azzi was five months pregnant, tragedy struck. Brielle's father passed away in a car accident. Four months later, Azzi gave birth to a beautiful baby girl and named her Brielle. Azzi was the only parent Brielle would ever know.
Balancing motherhood and fame was already a full time circus, and now because life clearly wasn't done testing her she was receiving threats. That was the final straw and the exact reason her mother finally won the bodyguard argument. And today was the day Azzi had to meet her. Currently, she was headed to the basement studio for rehearsal, hoping sweat and loud music would help her forget about it.
As she walked in, she spotted her two backup dancers, KK and Kelis. "Alright, ladies," Azzi said, clapping her hands. "Are y'all ready to get it on and poppin'?"
"Born ready," KK replied without missing a beat.
Kelis puffed out her chest dramatically. "You already know me, Az."
"Alexa," KK yelled, "play Azzi Fudd's latest single!"
Music blasted through the speakers, and rehearsal kicked off. Ten minutes in right as Azzi was getting into her groove there was a knock at the door.
"Alexa, stop!" Azzi shouted. The music cut abruptly. "Yes?" she called, already irritated.
Katie peeked her head inside. "Hey, Az. The bodyguard arrived. I brought her down to meet you."
Azzi rolled her eyes so hard it was a miracle she didn't pull something. Great. Because what she really needed today was a stranger watching her breathe. She was tired, tired of being babied, tired of being threatened, and so over this whole fucking bodyguard thing. Taking a deep breath, she glanced at her mom, who was already giving her the don't start look.
"Sure, Mom," Azzi said, forcing a smile. "Send her in."
Paige had seen pictures. Highlight reels. Interviews. Hell, she'd read every article twice just to be prepared. None of it mattered the second she stepped into the room. Azzi Fudd was real in a way cameras didn't capture. Sweat clung to her skin like it belonged there, darkening the band of her sports bra, tracing the lines of muscle she pretended not to notice. Short shorts. Restless energy. Irritation sharp enough to taste. She looked up when Paige moved, eyes flashing annoyed, curious, assessing her the same way Paige was assessing every exit, every corner, every potential threat.
Get it together, Bueckers. This wasn't new territory for her. Pressure, attention, expectations—she lived in it. But this? This was different. Dangerous in a way she hadn't trained for. She made the pact instantly. Professional. Controlled. Untouchable. No lingering looks. No reactions. No cracks. Her mouth was dry anyway.
Paige stepped forward, posture straight, shoulders squared, eyes deliberately fixed on Azzi's and nowhere else. She felt the weight of the moment…the job, the responsibility, the line she could not cross… press down hard.
"Hey, Azzi," she said evenly, calm like this was just another assignment, another day. Her hand went out between them, firm, steady. "Nice to meet you. I'm Paige. I'll be the one making sure you're safe."
Azzi's gaze flicked to Paige's hand, then back to her face. Something unreadable passed through her expression… challenge, maybe. Or interest. Paige ignored the way her pulse kicked up. Safe. That was the only thing that mattered. At least, that's what she told herself as their hands met and she realized this job was going to test every bit of discipline she had.
Azzi's breath caught in her throat. Okay. This is new. She'd never been attracted to a woman before, never even looked twice, but there was absolutely no denying what was standing in front of her right now. Paige Bueckers was... not what she expected. She was bracing herself for a stiff suit, maybe a scowl, something very security detail. Instead, she looked like she just walked off a streetwear runway and accidentally ended up in her living room. Hair slicked back into a clean ponytail. Broad shoulders. Calm ocean blue eyes that missed nothing.
Azzi's gaze betrayed her, tracing Paige from head to toe before she could stop herself. Yeah. She's fine as hell. She had to catch herself. She was a grown woman. A mother. A professional. She cleared her throat and stepped forward, extending her hand.
"I wasn't aware bodyguards dressed better than the client," she said, eyebrow arching.
"Azzi!" her mom practically shrieked.
Paige didn't even flinch. She just looked at Azzi like she'd already catalogued her sarcasm and filed it away. "It's alright, Mrs. Fudd," she said smoothly. "I get that a lot." She turned back to Azzi, expression calm but firm. "What I'm wearing doesn't have anything to do with my skill set. You'll be in very capable hands."
Well. Points for confidence. Then she turned to Azzi's mom. "Mrs. Fudd, would you mind showing me the rest of the premises? I'll need to decide where cameras should be placed."
Azzi blinked. "Cameras? How many cameras are we talking?"
"Enough to keep you safe," Paige said, unfazed. "And enough for me to keep eyes on everything."
Azzi rolled her eyes. "Love that for me." She clapped her hands. "Ladies, let's get back to rehearsal before my house turns into Fort Knox."
She tried to focus. She really did. But Paige didn't smile, didn't relax, didn't stop watching. It was distracting. Annoying. Intriguing. She made it her personal mission to crack her serious little shell. Twenty minutes later, she gave up.
"Alright, we're done for today," she announced. "We'll regroup tomorrow."
What she actually needed was her kid. She headed upstairs and found Brielle waking up from her nap in the living room. She scooped her up and sat down, immediately attacking her cheeks with kisses.
"Hey, lovebug," she murmured. "How was your nap?"
"It was good, Mommy," she said, rubbing her eyes. "I'm a wittle hungry though."
Azzi laughed. "Of course you are. Come on." She carried her into the kitchen, glancing out the window just in time to see Paige talking with her parents outside. At that exact moment, Paige looked up and their eyes locked. Azzi didn't look away. Instead, her lips curled into a slow, knowing smirk.
Paige held her gaze for half a second... then broke it first. Interesting.
Azzi set Brielle on the counter. "What do you want to eat, baby?"
"Hmmm," she said seriously, hand under her chin. "Lemme think."
Azzi waited patiently, already smiling.
"Pizza!" she declared. "I'll even eat carrots 10 of them mom I promise." She stuck out her pinky.
Azzi ended up dying laughing. "Deal."
Brielle started clapping like she just won the lottery, right as Paige walked back inside with her parents.
"Someone's excited," Paige said, a smile breaking across her face.
Oh. She does smile.
"This must be the beautiful Miss Brielle," she added.
Brielle immediately hid her face in Azzi's side. Azzi laughed. "Yeah, she's a wittle shy." As she would say. She glanced back at Paige. "I see you do smile after all."
Paige cleared her throat, professional mask snapping back into place, and turned to finish her conversation with Azzi's parents.
Azzi grabbed Brielle's jacket. "Ready to get pizza, luv bug?"
"Yes!" she said, shaking her beads.
As they headed for the door, Azzi noticed Paige following behind them. She stopped and raised an eyebrow. "You're coming?"
"You don't go anywhere alone," Paige said calmly.
Azzi sighed. "So I can't even take my daughter to get pizza without an escort now?"
"Those are the rules," she replied. "Where you go, I go."
"Lucky me."
Brielle looked up at her. "You have really pretty blue eyes ms."
Paige's face softened instantly. "You can call me Paige," she said warmly. "And thank you, pretty lady." She winked.
Azzi's stomach flipped. Not her dead ass thinking what it would be like to be on the receiving end of a wink from Paige. Snap out of it, Azzi. She shook her head and followed Paige out the door, realizing one thing very clearly—this was dead ass her new life.
Paige walked half a step behind Azzi as they headed to the car. It was instinct. Positioning. Habit. She scanned the driveway, the street, the corners she'd already memorized twice. Brielle's little hand was wrapped in Azzi's, swinging as she walked, humming under her breath like she was already celebrating the pizza she hadn't gotten yet.
Azzi glanced back at Paige. Smirked. She knew she was watching.
Paige opened the back door first, helping Brielle into her booster seat before stepping aside so Azzi could get in. She caught her wrist lightly as she moved past her.
"Relax," Azzi said softly. "We're just getting pizza."
"I know," Paige replied. "That's when people relax. That's when things go wrong."
Azzi studied her for a second, then nodded like she'd decided something. This ride was about to be a problem.
Paige took the driver's seat. Engine on. Mirrors checked. She pulled out smoothly, eyes forward.
"So," Azzi said casually from the passenger seat, like she wasn't already testing boundaries. "How long have you been a bodyguard?"
"Eight years."
"Wow." She tilted her head. "You always this intense, or do I bring it out in you?"
Paige fought the corner of her mouth threatening to lift. "I'm always like this."
"Liar."
Paige glanced at her briefly before returning her eyes to the road. She was watching her, chin resting in her hand, expression open in a way that made it harder to shut her out.
"Okay," she said. "Next question."
Paige already regretted this.
"Are you married?"
"No."
"Kids?"
"No."
"Ever want them?"
Paige exhaled through her nose. "You're persistent."
Azzi grinned. "I'm curious." There's a difference. She knew it. Azzi knew it too.
"What about you?" Paige asked, deflecting. "You always ask this many questions, or am I special?"
Azzi's smile widened. "Maybe."
Paige cleared her throat and focused harder on the road.
"And what's the hardest part?" Azzi asked, quieter now. "About your job."
Paige hesitated. Honesty slipped out before she could stop it. "Not getting attached."
Azzi looked at her then, not teasing, not smirking. Just... interested. "That sounds lonely."
"It's safer."
"For who?"
Paige didn't answer.
Brielle broke the tension from the backseat. "Paige?"
"Yes, pretty lady?"
"Do you like pizza?"
Paige glanced in the rearview mirror. She was watching her like her answer mattered. "I do," she said. "Especially when it comes with carrots."
She giggled. "You can have one of mine."
Azzi laughed softly beside her. "Careful," she said. "She doesn't share food lightly."
Paige finally let herself smile. Just a little. "Noted."
They pulled into the parking lot, and as Paige parked the car, Azzi turned to her, eyes bright. "You know," she said, "you don't always have to be on."
Paige met her gaze this time. "Someone has to be."
Her voice softened. "Maybe not all the time."
For a second, just one, Paige considered what that would feel like. Then she opened the door. "Let's get your pizza," she said. But the armor had a crack now. And Azzi put it there.
The first thing Azzi noticed the moment they stepped into the pizzeria was that Paige didn't turn off. Not even for a second. Her eyes were everywhere, doors, windows, corners,like this place might suddenly turn into a crime scene over pepperoni and soda. Azzi watched her for a moment, amused, before she finally crouched down in front of Brielle, her entire presence shifting.
"Hey, pretty lady," Paige said gently. "How about a little challenge?"
Brielle's eyes lighted immediately.
"If I can guess what you and Mommy like on your pizza," Paige continued, "you have to eat two extra carrots with it."
Azzi's eyebrow shot up.
Brielle put on her thinking face, then blurted out, "That's not fair!"
Paige paused. "What if you guess Mommy's right?"
Brielle continued seriously. "What does she have to do?"
Azzi choked on her spit. Thinking of all the things she would like to do to that woman she didn't even know she was capable of thinking. She looked between her daughter and her bodyguard, suddenly very aware that Paige looked... stuck. Like she was trying to calculate her way out of this conversation without setting off a bomb.
Azzi decided to save her. "Hmmm," she said thoughtfully. "If she guesses right, I'll eat double whatever carrots you eat."
Brielle pouted. "That's not fair, Mommy. You already like carrots." She turned to Paige with those big brown eyes… the ones that could convince anyone to do anything. "That's not fair, right Paige?"
And there it was. Azzi actually saw it… the exact moment Paige melted. She cleared her throat.
"Okay," she said carefully. "New deal. If I guess Mommy's right... you get ice cream."
Brielle almost launched herself out of the booth. "DEAL!" she squeaked.
Azzi laughed and lifted her back into her seat. "Relax, luv bug. We're in public."
Paige ordered for all of them, and when she came back, she set down four pepperoni slices…two for her, two for Brielle… and then slid a plate in front of Azzi. Spanish chicken.
Her stomach flipped. She stared at the pizza, then looked up at Paige. "How did you..."
"Lucky guess," Paige said, a small smile tugging at her mouth.
Yeah. Sure.
Azzi didn't say anything, but her chest felt tight in a way that had nothing to do with food. Because when she woke up that morning, she didn't like women. And she definitely wasn't thrilled about getting a bodyguard. Now, less than two hours later, she was sitting across from a woman she barely knew, watching her make her daughter laugh, noticing every quiet detail about her and somehow shaking everything she thought she understood about herself. She realized, very clearly, that she was in big trouble. And the scariest part? She thought she liked it.
The house was finally quiet. Brielle's asleep, curled around her favorite stuffed animal, and the hallway lights were dimmed low enough that everything felt softer. Azzi padded downstairs in sweats and socks, not expecting to see anyone.
Paige was still awake. She was in the kitchen, leaning against the counter, jacket off now, sleeves rolled up, phone in hand. She looked... human. Tired. Less armored.
"You don't sleep?" Azzi asked quietly.
Paige looked up, startled for half a second before she schooled her face. "Eventually."
Azzi grabbed a bottle of water and leaned against the island, keeping a careful distance. Silence settled between them, not awkward, just calm.
"She likes you," Azzi said after a moment. "Brielle."
Paige's mouth twitched. "She's easy to like."
"She doesn't warm up to people fast."
Paige nodded, gaze dropping. "Kids usually know."
Something about that made Azzi's chest ache.
"Thank you," she added. "For today. For...everything."
Paige shrugged. "It's my job."
"Still," Azzi said. "You were gentle with her. That matters."
Paige didn't answer right away. When she finally looked at Azzi, her eyes were softer than they'd been all day. "I try to be," she said quietly. "When it counts."
Their knees brushed under the counter. Neither of them moved.
"You ever turn it off?" Azzi asked.
Paige exhaled, slow. "Not really."
"That sounds exhausting."
"It is."
For a second, Azzi thought she might argue. Instead, she nodded once.
"Goodnight, Azzi."
"Goodnight, Paige."
Paige walked past her, close enough that Azzi caught the faint scent of her cologne. She watched her disappear down the hall, something warm and unfamiliar settling in her chest. She turned off the kitchen light, already knowing, this was only the beginning.