𝑳𝑬𝑺𝑺𝑶𝑵𝑺 & 𝑳𝑨𝒀𝑼𝑷𝑺

𝑬𝑰𝑮𝑯𝑻𝑬𝑬𝑵; 𝑻𝑶𝑮𝑬𝑻𝑯𝑬𝑹

Sloane stood at the nairport terminal, her heart feeling both heavy and light. Her parents hovered, the way they always did at these moments—full of love and a little bit of worry. Her mom pulled her in for a tight hug, whispering, "Call me as soon as you land, okay? I need to know you guys made it safe."

"I promise, Mom," Sloane said, squeezing her back. "We'll be fine."

Paige stood to the side, her hands tucked into her jacket pockets, watching with a soft smile. Sloane's mom turned to her, eyes filled with affection. "And you, Paige, take care of her, okay? Dont let her guilt trip you into buying her snacks."

Paige chuckled, nodding. "I'll do my best." she replied. "Thank you for having me. It means  a lot."

Sloane's dad grinned, pulling Paige into a quick, fatherly hug. "You're always welcome with us, Paige. And don't let Sloane drag you into anything on the way back."

Paige shot Sloane a playful look. "I'll keep her in check." she teased. "No promises, though."

Sloane rolled her eyes dramatically.

Her mom laughed, ruffling her hair one last time. "Anyway, both of you take care, and don't forget to enjoy the time you have left before the game tomorrow You both work too hard."

"We will," Paige assured, glancing at Sloane with a grin. "We're planning on making the most of it."

After another round of hugs, Sloane and Paige started moving towards the security checkpoint. Sloane gave one last wave, her heart squeezing just a little at the sight of her parents standing there, watching them leave. Paige's hand brushed against hers as they walked, a silent gesture of comfort.

"You okay?" Paige asked softly as they neared the line for security.

"Yeah," Sloane said, nodding. "It's just always bittersweet, saying goodbye."

Paige's gaze softened. "I get it. You're lucky, though. Your family's great. It's nice that they care so much."

Sloane smiled, feeling warmth spread through her. "Yeah, they are pretty great," she agreed. "And they really like you, by the way. My mom wouldn't stop talking about how polite you were."

Paige laughed, a little bashful. "I try," she said, then added with a teasing smile.

They reached the security checkpoint, and the line was shorter than expected. Paige nudged Sloane's shoulder. "Guess we've got some time to kill before boarding. Maybe grab something to eat?"

Sloane's eyes lit up. "Yes! There's this little bakery stand near our gate that has the best croissants. You have to try one."

"Lead the way, then," Paige replied, her smile growing as she followed Sloane through the terminal.

After they passed through security and found the bakery stand, Sloane insisted on ordering for them. "Two almond croissants, please," she told the vendor, and Paige watched her with a smile of adoration.

As they sat down in the waiting area, Sloane handed one croissant to Paige. "I promise you won't regret this," she said, taking a big bite of her own.

Paige chuckled, trying a bite and closing her eyes in exaggerated delight. "Okay, I admit it... this is amazing," she said. "Maybe your obsession with snacks isn't so bad after all."

"See? I told you!" Sloane grinned, crumbs at the corner of her mouth. "I have beautiful taste."

Paige rolled her eyes but couldn't stop smiling. "Yeah, yeah. I guess you do."

They continued chatting and eating, savoring the last moments before their flight was called. Eventually, the intercom crackled to life, announcing the boarding for their flight.

Sloane felt a flutter of excitement. "Ready for takeoff?" she asked

Paige nodded, standing up and grabbing her bag. "Let's do this."

As they approached the gate, Sloane could feel the energy shifting between them. There was an undercurrent of something—anticipation, maybe, or just the simple thrill of being together like this. They handed over their boarding passes, stepping onto the bridge that led to the plane.

When they found their seats, Paige insisted on Sloane taking the window seat. "I know you like watching the takeoff," she said, settling into her own seat beside her.

Sloane's heart warmed. "Thanks," she replied, buckling in. "You remembered?"

"I remember everything you say."Paige said softly, a smile tugging at her lips. "Especially when it's about you."

Sloane felt a blush creep up her cheeks. She turned her gaze to the window, trying to hide her smile as the plane began to taxi down the runway. As they took off, she glanced back at Paige, who was watching her with that same soft expression.

"What?" Sloane asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Nothing," Paige replied, her smile widening. "Just... I'm glad we're doing this together."

Sloane felt a rush of warmth in her chest. "Me too," she murmured. "Really glad."

They settled into a comfortable rhythm as the plane climbed higher, talking in low voices and occasionally leaning closer to hear each other over the hum of the engines. Paige pointed out the window, showing Sloane the way the city lights looked like scattered stars below them.

"Look at that," she whispered. "It's like a whole other universe down there."

Sloane nodded, her heart thumping in her chest. "Yeah... it's beautiful," she replied, but her eyes never left Paige's face.

They continued their quiet conversation through the flight, laughing softly and sharing stories. By the time the plane began its descent, the sky outside had darkened to a deep blue, and the first stars were appearing overhead.

As they touched down, Sloane felt a mixture of excitement and sadness. She wasn't ready for this moment to end, even though she knew it had to.

Once they disembarked, they slowly made their way through the terminal, into their Uber and too the dorms . It was around that 8:00 PM, the common area at Uconn was buzzing with people arriving, from their vacations. They finally reached the point where they would have to split up for the night

Sloane turned to Paige, her heart heavy. "So...I'll see you tomorrow at the game?"

Paige nodded, but there was a teasing glint in her eye. "Don't miss me too much."

Sloane laughed, but her voice was softer than usual. "Can't make any promises."

Paige stepped closer, her gaze intent. "You better not," she whispered, leaning in for a brief, warm hug. "Goodnight, Sloane. Text me when you get settled, okay?"

Sloane hugged her back tightly, inhaling the familiar scent of Paiges perfume, feeling a rush of emotion. "I will," she promised. "Goodnight, Paige."

They lingered a moment longer, their hands brushing as they pulled away. Finally, Paige smiled, turned, and walked toward the exit, glancing back once with a playful wink.

Sloane stood there for a few seconds, watching her disappear into the crowd, before turning to head towards her ride, already counting down the hours until they'd see each other again.

A/N; hope u guys like it just a small filler ! AND TYSM FOR 5K READSSS
bruh i have school tmrw and i have no idea what to wear💔💔 and i just realized i don't have a plain black hoodie???

love u all

-lea

sept 8