"Yes, fuck, I'm coming!" Azure yelled hearing someone knock on her door for the third time in a row, getting up from her couch, her head hurting just at the movement.
Azure's head throbbed with each step she took, the dull ache pulsating behind her temples like a relentless drumbeat. She stumbled slightly, her vision swimming as she made her way towards the door, the bright light searing through her eyelids like shards of glass.
She cursed under her breath, her frustration mounting with each passing second.
With a deep breath, she swung the door open, her eyes widening seeing who was knocking at her door at this ungodly hour. Or so she guessed it was an ungodly hour.
"What the fuck are you doing here?" Azure demanded, her voice tinged with irritation and disbelief as she took in the sight before her.
Standing on her doorstep was none other than Katie McCabe, her expression showing clear annoyance and embarrassment.
"Skipper sent me. Said I had to apologize." Katie mumbled, her words barely audible over the pounding of Azure's headache.
Azure rolled her eyes, her motivation to talk to someone close to zero. Especially if that someone was Katie. "Fine. Come in." She grunted, her tone clipped as she stepped aside to let Katie enter, her headache intensifying with each passing moment.
Katie hesitated for a moment, her gaze lingering on Azure's face as if searching for any sign of forgiveness. But Azure's expression remained stoic, her walls firmly in place as she braced herself for whatever Katie had to say.
"Don't you wanna... put clothes on?" Katie asked, and Azure frowned, looking down at her clothes. She was wearing boxers, along with a white tank top. Nothing more, nothing less.
"You've seen me naked in the locker room, why would I give a fuck?" Azure asked, though the question was mainly rhetorical.
Azure's response was blunt, her irritation evident in her tone as she brushed off Katie's concern. She had never been one to shy away from her body, especially not around her teammates. The familiarity of the locker room had long since erased any sense of modesty she might have once had.
Katie raised an eyebrow at Azure's retort, her lips twitching in amusement despite the tension between them. "Fair point," she conceded, a wry smile playing at the corners of her mouth.
Azure nodded, closing the door behind Katie then walking back to her couch, assuming the Irish would follow her there, which she did.
As Azure settled back onto her couch, she could feel Katie's presence beside her, a silent reminder of the apology that hung between them like a fragile thread. She couldn't deny the relief she felt at having Katie's company, despite their rocky history. Maybe, just maybe, this unexpected visit would offer her some much-needed distraction from the turmoil brewing inside her mind.
Katie shifted slightly beside her, her movements hesitant as if unsure of where to begin. "Fuck's sake. Take a seat, god. You ain't gonna stay up like a fucking zombie," Azure grumbled, gesturing towards the empty space beside her on the couch.
Katie sighed. She absolutely hated being given orders, and absolutely hated the way Azure was talking to her. Swallowing her pride, she forced herself to take a deep breath, reminding herself of the bigger picture.
With a resigned nod, Katie settled onto the couch beside Azure, her movements slow and deliberate. She could feel the weight of Azure's gaze on her, the tension between them palpable even in the silence that hung heavy in the air.
For a moment, neither of them spoke, the only sound the steady rhythm of their breathing.
Azure reached out for her pack of cigarettes, lighting one before throwing her lighter back on the coffee table.
