sun to me

Nine

You pull me in and touch my neck, and now I'm dying 

You should be mine for life, ill be singing

As the championship buzz settled, Paige and Florence found themselves in a quieter rhythm—one that allowed their relationship to deepen away from the public eye. The media was abuzz with speculation about Paige's unexpected appearances at Florence's events, dubbing it a "world tour." Some attributed it to Paige enjoying her off-season, while others whispered about a possible relationship. For Paige and Florence, the rumors felt intrusive, but they also found them amusing in a way only they could understand.

One evening in Florence's cozy Los Angeles apartment, they sat on the balcony, the city lights twinkling in the distance. Florence strummed her guitar absentmindedly, her bare feet propped on the edge of the railing, while Paige leaned back in her chair, sipping from a mug of tea.

"You know," Paige said, breaking the comfortable silence, "people are starting to connect the dots."

Florence looked up from her guitar, raising an eyebrow. "About us?"

Paige nodded, her lips curling into a small smile. "Yeah. Between your events and my 'coincidental' appearances, it's getting harder to dodge questions."

Florence sighed, setting her guitar down. "Do you think we should just...tell people?"

Paige hesitated, her gaze shifting to the skyline. "I've thought about it. But dating my coach's daughter? That's not exactly great PR for me—or for your dad. Florence trust me if I could let the whole world know about us I would scream it from the rooftops but I don't want you dad or you to face consequences."

Florence reached for Paige's hand, lacing their fingers together. "I don't care what people think about me. But you're right, I would hate for you to get hate by people saying that you only succeeding because of my dad and out connection. The privacy is kind of nice, too."

Paige turned back to her, her expression softening. "It is. We get to keep this just for us. No noise, no distractions."

They agreed to keep their relationship private, sharing it only with a tight-knit circle of trusted friends. Paige's teammates Azzi, Nika, and a few others knew—they had long since pieced it together from Paige's glowing mentions of Florence and the way her eyes lit up whenever Florence's name came up.

"Florence is amazing," Nika had said one day, nudging Paige in the locker room. "But you know we're all rooting for you two, right?"

Azzi grinned, adding, "You're not as subtle as you think, your rizz must have worked."

Their friends respected their decision to keep things quiet, understanding the complexities of their situation. Paige spent most of her off-season in Los Angeles, and their time together was a mix of quiet moments and shared adventures.

They explored the city, from late-night walks on the beach to impromptu visits to quirky coffee shops. Paige even joined Florence in her recording sessions, watching in awe as Florence brought her music to life. In return, Florence attended Paige's PR appearances and meetings, always keeping a low profile but never missing an opportunity to support her.

One evening, as they lay sprawled on the living room floor, Florence showed Paige some of the new songs she was working on for her tour.

"This one," Florence said, playing a few chords, "reminds me of us."

Paige propped herself up on her elbows, listening intently as Florence sang. The lyrics spoke of love that thrived in quiet corners, away from the world's gaze, and the strength it took to hold onto something so precious. With many of their conversations of life mixed into her lyrics as inspiration.

"You're unbelievable, you know so would say I should be apart of the credits for song writing" Paige said when Florence finished, her voice filled with admiration.

Florence grinned. "Sure should I put it down as little Paigey?"

As the tour kickoff approached, Paige's schedule began to fill up again with meetings and PR events. Surprisingly, many of them coincided with stops on Florence's tour. It wasn't planned, but it felt serendipitous. They joked about it, calling it fate's way of giving them more time together.

As Florence's tour kickoff neared, anticipation grew—not just for her performances but also for the release of her surprise short album, The Secret of Us. The album had been a labor of love, written during quiet moments with Paige, inspired by their stolen glances, whispered conversations, and the deep connection they had nurtured away from prying eyes.

When The Secret of Us dropped, it caused an immediate stir in the music world. The songs were hauntingly beautiful, raw, and intimate, each track weaving a narrative of love that thrived in secrecy and defied the odds. Fans and critics alike were quick to speculate about the album's muse. Was it a past love? A fictional story? Someone currently in Florence's life? The ambiguity only added to the album's allure.

One track, Risk, stood out. Its playful lyrics spoke of someone who challenged Florence, made her laugh, and kept her grounded. The credit of just Paigey no last name or anything sent fans spiraling into theories, but only Florence knew the truth.

Paige heard the song for the first time on a long car ride through Los Angeles. Florence had insisted on playing the album in full, watching Paige's reactions closely. When Risk started, Paige's head whipped toward Florence, her eyes wide.

"No way," Paige said, a grin spreading across her face. "You actually credited me?"

Florence smirked, keeping her eyes on the road. "You deserved the credit. Didn't you say you should be part of the songwriting team?"

Paige laughed, her cheeks flushing. "I didn't think you'd actually do it. Now the world's going to wonder who 'paigey' is."

"Let them wonder," Florence said, her tone light but her words holding deeper meaning. "Only we need to know."

Despite the album's success, Florence kept tight-lipped about its inspiration during interviews. When asked directly, she would smile and offer vague responses like, "It's about someone very special," or, "I wanted to capture a connection that feels timeless." Or "this album was a piece of art telling the story of people falling in love, its more of a story for the listeners to see themselves in and relate to".

For Paige, listening to The Secret of Us felt like hearing their love story immortalized in music. Tracks like Whispered Promises and Our Quiet Corner spoke to moments only they shared—nights spent talking until dawn, quiet walks on the beach, and the mutual decision to protect their relationship from the public eye.

"It's surreal," Paige admitted one night as they lounged on the couch, the album playing softly in the background. "Hearing our story out there for everyone to interpret, but knowing it's really just ours."

Florence leaned her head on Paige's shoulder. "That's the beauty of it. It's ours, no matter how much they try to guess."

As Florence's tour began and Paige's PR appearances lined up perfectly with tour stops, the media couldn't help but notice the overlap. Articles speculating about their connection popped up, with headlines like, Who is Florence's Muse?and Paige Bueckers and Florence Adler: Just Coincidence or Something More?

They laughed about it in private, finding humor in the way the world tried to piece together their puzzle.

But for Florence, the real triumph of The Secret of Us wasn't its critical acclaim or commercial success—it was knowing that Paige understood every lyric, every melody, every note that had been crafted with her in mind. It was their love, captured in song, and shared with the world while still remaining uniquely theirs.