They're just friends, have been since they were both teenagers. Nothing more, nothing less... right? But they both know that they were made to be so much more than just friends.

Based on the song 'The Other Side' by Tonight Alive.

The idea came to me at around 2 in the morning, so I apologise if it's very patchy. I have an idea where I want to take this fic, but all suggestions welcome.

If you were to ask a stranger what their favourite moment was, they would probably say when their first child was born, or when they got married, or even when they graduated. But not Alex, for Alex's favourite moment was when she woke up next to Piper Chapman for the first time. She still remembers the moment clearly.

At 8:30am Alex awoke from a dreamless sleep. For the first time in what feels like forever it was because of her alarm and not her nightmares. She grudgingly reached over and hit the snooze button, being careful not to awaken the sleeping blonde currently lying soundless on her torso.

Alex looked around her room, taking in everything she has gained over the past few years. The king size bed, with light grey and lilac covers, is in the middle of the main bedroom. A dark grey sofa is at the bottom of the bed, facing a marble fire-place. To the left of the bed there is a bookcase stretching the length of the wall, holding books such as Great Expectations, Frankenstein, and even the Harry Potter series and The Hunger Games trilogy. On the right side of the room, there is a window around 5 feet wide, which gives Alex the perfect view of the city below. At the bottom left of the room, just after the book-case, there are two doors, one leading to the walk in wardrobe, and the other leading to the hallway of Alex's penthouse. It's all oh so different from the shabby one bedroom apartment she lived in two years prior.

Alex's eyes focus on the clothes thrown on the floor... and the sofa... and even on top of the wardrobe from the previous night's antics. Thinking about the night only makes Alex's heart race, she has never been that happy in her life. Well, until now.

Alex looks down at the sleeping blonde who is snoring slightly in her dream fused state. Both wrapped up in Alex's duvet. Alex takes in every single detail of the blonde in her most vulnerable state whilst she can.

The way her sun-kissed skin is burning against Alex's, making her heart race. Her right arm wrapped around Alex so tight, like if she let's go, Alex will disappear. The way her head is resting on Alex's chest, her soft breaths tickling Alex's skin. The way one of her legs is stretching out against Alex's, whilst the other is resting atop. The way she moves herself ever so slightly every few moments, trying to get closer to Alex.

Alex readjusts her right hand so she can place it on top of the blondes back and she delicately runs her fingers up and down the area there. She cautiously moves her body lower, aiming to reposition the blonde so her head is upon Alex's shoulder. With her left hand Alex moves a strand of long blonde her behind the sleeping girl's ear, and she lightly trails her thumb over her cheek. So beautiful. For a long moment Alex just stares. Stares at the beauty in front of her, and can't help but thank the lord that she doesn't even believe in, for this moment right here.

Just from looking at the blondes sleeping form, Alex feels as if she knows more about the blonde than she knows about anyone else. And she notices things that she doesn't give two shits about if it was anyone else; how her eyebrows furrow when she sleeps... Always deep in thought, even when sleeping. How her lips part slightly, and how she twitches her nose when her hair falls on her face, scratching at the delicate, beautiful skin beneath. She is so beautiful.

Alex has never called anyone beautiful before, but this blonde... She's the exception. At first Alex didn't understand why the blonde was beautiful, when everyone was either hot or pretty, but then she realized that she's not just talking about her looks. She's talking about everything else as well; her laugh, and the way her eyes crinkle when she smiles. The little dimples she gets sometimes, and how even with no make-up on, she still manages to take Alex's breath away. She's beautiful because of the way she makes Alex laugh when all she wants to do is cry, how she asks about Alex's day, not because she feels obliged too, but because she cares. How she looks at Alex when she feels like everyone hates her... She makes Alex feel like she's worth something.

Piper is beautiful, in every sense of the word.

Alex feels love. For the first time in her life, she feels love for another person. Not how she loves her mother, or Nicky... She feels it differently, she can't put her finger on how, but she knows she does. She wants to make the blonde happy, happier than anyone else can, she wants to see her 1000 watt smile everyday for the rest of her life, and Alex wants to be the reason behind that smile. Because that smile, even when not directed at her, makes Alex feel fucking fantastic. In that smile, there is something more beautiful than the moon and the stars.

Alex is in love. She wants nothing more than to love the blonde with everything she has, she wants to wake every morning with the blonde around her side, and she wants to whisper sweet nothings into her ear when the world is trying to bring her down. She wants to make the blondes happiness her happiness, and make the blondes pain her pain.

She will give the blonde her heart and soul. Alex has never been more determined of anything in her life.

Waking up next to Piper Chapman for the first time was the happiest moment of Alex's life.

I

Three months earlier.

Walking down the street alone on a Friday night used to bother Piper. "I could die. There are drunken lunatics everywhere! "She'd once exclaim. But now, she doesn't really care. She doesn't know where she's going, but she doesn't mind, she just needs time to think, she needs solitary.

She doesn't look where she's going; she's just barging past fellow 24 year olds who are having a lot more fun than she is. She walks aimlessly around until she comes to an apartment building she's all too familiar with. Alex.Piper takes out her phone and reads the time 9:58pm. She's probably not in any way. Piper carries on walking down the street, attempting to forget about the day and the conversations it's held.

She doesn't take notice of her surroundings until the background shouting, and drunken arguments stop. She looks up from the cobble pathway, mildly confused, but very thankful, and she realizes that she's walked to a little river by a park she used to visit as a child. This is her safe place. Although it's open all hours, not many people come here anymore. Not that she's complaining. She likes the peace.

She walks along the path and stops underneath the dimly lit light. She leans both elbows atop the fence which is separating her from the water opposite. Considering its mid-Autumn, piper isn't exactly dressed for the weather; she is wearing killer black heels, that she wishes she could just throw in the water as they're hurting so much. She's wearing a dark blue skin-tight dress which brings out the colour of her now tear-stained eyes, she kept a her make-up fairly natural, just adding a small amount of eye-liner.

A black leather jacket is the only thing she has to keep her warm for the night. Tonight wasn't supposed to be like this. We were supposed to go out and have fun, just as promised. Sighing she raises both hands and leans her head on them. She doesn't know what to do, today's gone completely shit for her, and in typical piper way, she will avoid the problem until it no longer is relevant. Running away from her problems is what she thinks she excels at, and what she plans to do for the rest of the night. Piper tries to take her mind from things and think about something else, something good.

She starts recalling a certain memory as she pushes herself from the fence, beginning the walk back to her apart and even with a smile on her face, which for once it's not a fake one. But before the memory is fully there, and even before she's taken three steps, her phone starts to ring. She quickly grabs it from her jacket pocket, praying that it's not her mother calling to shout at her again. She presses the little green button and brings the phone to her ear.

"What?"

At first all she hears is the muffled sound of people's voices, and then in a drunken slur she hears her voice.

"Piperrrrr, Piper, Piper, Pipperrrrrr! That's not a very nice way to answer the phone you know?"

Piper can't help but laugh at how drunken Alex is already.

"Alex"

"That is my name, Pipes."

"Ha ha. I was just thinking about you."

"Oh yeah? W-w-what exactly about me was you thinking of about me then, Pipes me love?"

My god she's so gone. Piper turns back towards the water, finally able to fully recall the memory.

"I thought you could handle your drink?" Alex deeply laughs on the other side of the phone, making Pipers smile grow even wider. "Do you remember before you had your license and you used to drive your mothers cars? Well it was this one time, you drove us both up to that little river, and we sat for hours, just watching the sky, Fuck it was beautiful. We didn't get any proper alcohol so we had to drink Poussey's home-made Hooch! We got so drunk! Do you remember?" Throughout the anecdote all Piper could do was laugh, to Pipers joy, Alex did the same. She loved reminiscing, especially about times with Alex.

-Flashback-

"Mom, can I borrow your car?" Alex shouted as she was running around the small two bedroom apartment looking for her mother's car keys.

"It depends where you're going." Diane steps out of her bedroom holding the keys in her hand, shaking them in Alex's direction. Alex turned around at the noise and ran to her mother... though it was only a short distance of about 14 feet.

"I'm going out with Piper. Come on mum please." Her mother pretends to think about it for a short while, placing her forefinger and thumb on her chin. "Look mom, I know you think you're been funny and stuff, but I'm really late, so please can I have the car keys now. We both know you're going to let me."

Diane gives Alex an over dramatic look of sadness and brings her hand over her heart, emphasizing the fake pain. When Alex says and does no more, she throws the keys in her daughter's direction. "Fine. But don't stay out too late." Alex grabs the keys and runs to the door.

"Okay. Bye. Love you."

"Love you too, Alex.

Alex closes the door behind her, and walks into the chilly night, wrapping her black leather jacket further around her body as she jogs across the street towards her mother's car. She's thankful that they live on the first floor so she doesn't have to run down loads of stairs making her later than she already is. She gets in the car, inserts the keys and turns of the engine. She welcomes the heat, warming her cold skin created by cold night air. She sends a quick text to Piper saying she's on her way and begins to start her journey.

Fifteen minutes later Alex arrives at Piper's family home. Piper lives in a nice suburb area outside the city, whereas Alex lives in a rough area in the city. Alex honks the cars horn twice, signalling to Piper that she has arrived. Only a few moments pass before Piper is opening the car door, throwing two bags on the back seats.

"You're late."

"Yes thank you Piper, I had no idea." Alex smirks at Piper as she sits in the passenger seat and closes the door, keeping in the heat."

Alex drives the two for thirty minutes, both talking about their day and their usual banter, before Alex pulls up to a park in the middle of the city. They both step out of the car, Alex helping Piper with her bags, and they walk along a small path to their favourite spot.

"Pipes, why do you need two bags?"

Piper looks a little taken back by this. "Food, obviously."

"Of course." Alex laughs as the two sit down crossed-legged on the middle bench, facing the small river illuminated by the moon light. The bench is big enough for four people, yet they sit with their knees and shoulders touching. They think nothing of their forever close proximity. They're just friends. Piper starts rummaging through her bag and pulls out a blanket, wrapping it around the pair. She continues going through her bag and pulls out the food she brought along.

"So we've got Doritos, some doughnuts, cheese strings... oh and I stole some of my mother's cookies!"

The blondes face lights up in triumph as she hands Alex a plate full of everything, Alex can't help but laugh at the blonde's choice of food. She wraps her arm around the blonde, somehow pulling her closer, and kisses her forehead.

"These fucking cookies are the best!"

They sit in silence for a while, both enjoying their food. Alex puts her plastic plate on the floor and reaches inside of her backpack, pulling out a plastic bottle, and holding it in front of Piper's face.

"Alex. What is that?" Piper knows the answer to her question, but she's hoping she's wrong. Alex gives Piper an all-knowing smirk, loving the look of disgust on the blonde's face.

"Well, I got it from Poussey-"

"Alex! You said you'd get a good drink! Not some shitty toilet made alcoholic beverage!" Piper sticks out her bottom lip, and gives her best puppy eyes. Alex lets out a throaty laugh, and Piper smiles at the sound.

"Shut up and drink it, Pipes." Alex throws the bottle into Piper's lap. She stairs in her eyes, smirk still on her face, daring the blonde to drink it. And drink she does. Two hours later and the two and wasted, laughing at nothing but each other. Soon they wear themselves out and fall asleep on one another. Piper's head on Alex's shoulder and Alex's head resting atop Pipers. Both with smiles on their faces, content from being in each other's presence.

End of flashback.

"Of course I remember Piper. That drink was fucking disgusting. But those were the days right?"

Piper silently agreed. She wishes things are like they once were, but people grow up, people change... People get changed. The two stay in silence for a short while, both satisfied with knowing the other is still there by their breaths coming down the phone. Because of how emotional she's already feeling, Piper starts to panic. What if she's not even there? What if it's just distant echoes I can hear and not her?

"Hey Alex?"

Alex responds without missing a heartbeat.

"Yeah kid?"

Piper lets out a sigh of relief but covers it with a cough, to make sure Alex doesn't catch on. Yet somehow, it's like she can feel Alex smirking on the other side of the phone.

"Why did you ring me?"

"I wanted to hear your voice babe." Piper knows Alex is joking, yet it feels like music to her ears. "And I want to see you tonight, we all do. I miss you."

She doesn't know why but she starts to cry. Tears just start to fall from her eyes like a waterfall. She lowers her dead so it's again resting on her hands, and she tries to stop crying enough for her to respond.

"You're always soppy when you're drunk, Vause."

"Are you okay, Pipes?" This girl doesn't miss a trick.

"I can't tonight, Alex. I need to head back home; I've been out too long anyway. I'll see you tomorrow. I love you-"

Before Piper can finish, Alex begins to talk again.

"Piper, please I need to talk to you, it's about Larry..."