This was inspired by a couple of conversations theinevitablepipex was having with some of her anons on tumblr about how Piper and Alex say they broke up 8 years before they went to prison, but they haven't seen each other in 5 years. It's just a little two part fic that I wanted to get written up because it's been taunting me for a little while now.

I hope you all enjoy it!

Piper used to hate Starbucks. She would make no secret of it, sneering at the queues of people as she passed one of the outlets, rolling her eyes and giving an outright 'no' when anyone dare suggest they grab a coffee there. Everything about the place would set her teeth on edge and she had absolutely no patience for the type of person the mega-chain attracted. "Half caff, half fat, soy latte vendi with rose scented syrup"? Jesus. The pretentious clientele that came through the doors on their way to work "-oh and a blueberry muffin" were not the type of people that Piper would want to encounter every morning, let alone willingly join the ranks of. That is, until she met Larry, whose caffeine addiction was really rather worrisome. She'd suggested he buy a coffee machine and save himself money in the long run, but he'd gone into a long speech about putting money into the economy and their delicious coffee syrups and whatever. It didn't make a lot of sense and it was painfully flawed, but he was clearly passionate about his argument and Piper had made a mental note to never dare suggest he give up his Starbucks-gold-card-worthy habit again.

The pair had fallen into a routine. Every morning, Larry would meet her outside one of the busiest shops in New York, kiss her gently on the cheek and tell her how beautiful she looked. Then he would bring her into the store as they swapped news or chatted aimlessly, order her coffee and walk her to work, a smile firmly on his face. She no longer took his compliments seriously, rolling her eyes and slapping him lightly across the shoulder, and she still felt the small ball of resentment in her stomach as she passed through the doors, but it was a system that seemed to be working and she enjoyed her mornings with Larry so she wasn't about to upset the apple cart and try to change any aspect of the daily meetings. It was all very consistent, sensible and reliable; three things that Piper had always tried to avoid, but look where that had got her. She was trying out something new; everything the old Piper - as she liked to think of her - would have wanted or sought after, she was doing the opposite of. So far, touch wood, it was working out extremely well.

Of course, when the couple had started their daily excursions to Starbuck, Piper (before she had decided to be everything old Piper was not) had insisted that it was unnecessary to meet every day and it must be costing him a double fortune to be buying her coffee, not to mention surely he would rather spend the extra time in bed? But Larry had simply waved her words away and insisted that it wasn't any extra effort for him at all. He enjoyed it and it really, honestly, I promise, was no problem. He loved it, in fact. I promise. The money was nothing and it didn't affect the time he woke up at all.

Piper knew for a fact that was bullshit. She herself had to wake up at least half an hour earlier because the ridiculous queue of addicts waiting for their fix added so much time to her morning, but she knew Larry would never admit it. Having said that, the time that she spent with Larry was, for want of a better word, lovely. It provided the order and certainty that she was now looking for and for that, she was grateful. It had been here that, a few weeks into their relationship, he had nervously brushed the back of his hand against hers, lacing their fingers together with such hesitation that Piper had laughed aloud at him. She had reached up and traced a knuckle down his jaw and dropped a soft kiss upon his cheek before collecting her coffee, beaming at him the entire time and her stomach flipping. He was a sweet man who clearly doted on her, forever trying to make her laugh or roll her eyes - something that he apparently found incredible endearing. He was everything that Piper had imagined when she was growing up and her mother absolutely adored him, nodding with approval whenever they went for dinner and he handed her flowers and a bottle of carefully selected wine.

He was the perfect gentleman and for a moment, sat by herself waiting for him, Piper wondered what her old self would have thought of him. She let out a small huff of laughter knowing exactly what she would have thought; pretentious, boring, monotonous, predictable, male. Not that she had been completely opposed to the idea of a man, it was just that when she was younger she hadn't really been able to see past the woman in front of her. It was like everything – the travel, the adventures, the nights curled up in a hotel bed – had been about the woman she had followed around the world with adoration and hero-worship in her eyes. And now? Now Larry made her feel like everything was about Piper. It was where she wanted to go and what she wanted to do. In the back of her mind, in the dark part of reason that Piper often did her very best to ignore and silence, she heard a small cry of protest. You know it wasn't like that. She did everything she fucking well could for you, you bitter old bitch. She silenced the voice and focused her thoughts on the man in her life, not the woman who used to be it.

But at this moment in time, the man in question was really pissing her off. Her warm bed this morning had been reluctant to let her go and she had been particularly unwilling to start her day. The city had still been dark when her alarm woke her, the winter mornings making themselves painfully known as people all over had tried to snuggle down into their beds for a final ten minutes, avoiding the fact that work was calling and they really would have to get up at some point. A hot shower had done little and she was now stood on the streets of New York waiting for Larry Bloom to show up. She watched her breath smoke in front of her, disappearing moments later. The city had frosted over and the promise of a hot coffee – any kind of coffee – was one she intended to fulfil within the next couple of minutes, Larry or no Larry. With a woolly hat pulled down over her ears and her mittened hands shoved deep in the pockets of her jacket, the sound of her phone going off made her groan. She had text Larry a couple of minutes before asking where the hell he was and his reply would mean she would have to take one of her mittens off and face the high chance of catching hyperthermia.

It's Tuesday, babe. You know I can't make it on Tuesdays : ( I'm so sorry, I guess you forgot! Pizza at mine later? I'll make it up to you. Have a good day at work! Xxxx

Fuck. He was right, it was Piper who had forgotten. He had never been able to meet her on Tuesdays, spending Monday nights at his parents' house which meant his commute was far longer, leaving no time for Piper and her extra hot skinny hazelnut latte, no foam.

Sighing heavily, Piper finally joined the queue, stamping her feet and welcoming the warmth of the shop and its Piper customers. She tried for a moment to become lost in her own thoughts, but the noise level was far too high and she settled for looking around her, giving the strangers back stories and deciding what it was they were going to be doing with their day. The young girl ordering now was clearly working for some high shot bitch who demanded her coffee every morning. Very Miranda Preistly. The poor woman was probably in for a day of demeaning tasks and tedious challenges with the promise that one day they will enable to get a real job. Poor girl. The guy bent so far over a laptop his nose was nearly touching the screen was obviously a techy. If you needed your computer or phone fixed, he would be the guy, but what was his day job? Piper watched him knock his glasses up his nose – she did that when she was unsure of what to say, playing for time – and frowned slightly, coming up blank. Maybe he was a game designer, all numbers and computer language, inside jokes and collectable figurines.

Piper bet he'd have his money ready which is more than she could say for many of the the idiots in the line. The majority reeled off their drinks with practiced ease, their money already held out for the young guy behind the counter to take and their name rolling off their lips before he could ask. The occasional tourist ordering a 'medium' made the line of people waiting almost audible groan and roll their eyes in unison. Those who didn't know what they were doing were not welcome here during the work rush. Not at all.

"Just a regular grande latte, thanks. My name is Alex"

The monotone voice froze Piper far more effectively than the bitter cold outside. The words she had heard on the day she met the woman who had changed her life…there they were. My name is Alex. Her eyes flew over to the woman in front of her currently ordering and, fuck, it was her. Of course it was her. She calmly collected her change, gave the guy a distracted 'thank you' and moved over to the waiting area, one hand pushed into the pocket of her leather jacket and the other tapping away on her phone completely oblivious to the eyes on her. Piper was sure that she must be able to feel the piercing stare directed at her but she didn't look up from what she was doing and Piper let out a small huff of laughter. It figured. Alex had always had a habit of being completely involved with one thing, being able to completely ignore everything else that was going on around her and focusing her entire attention on whatever it was that she was doing which was oh so much more important.

It was a trait that Piper had both loved and loathed.

As the one customer that had separated the two women ordered his drink, Piper could feel her heart beginning to pound harshly in her chest. There was no freaking way that she was going to be able to avoid Alex as they both waited for their drinks. Or maybe there was? Maybe, by the grace of god, her drink would arrive before Piper had the chance to order. Maybe –

"What can I get you, ma'am?"

Fuck.

As she reeled off her order, her eyes skitted to Alex to see if she had recognised her voice but her eyes were still firmly fixed on her phone screen.

"And your name?"

Piper leant forward over the counter slightly, saying her name far quieter than she usually would have, trying to not let the unusual name draw attention.

"Piper"

The guy nodded, frowning at her slightly in confusion, and scribble it on a cup before taking her money and giving her the change with a smile. Piper considered going outside to wait, taking the chance that her coffee may be sat for a while before she collects it, but the thought of being outside for a second longer than necessary was a giant no. So instead, Piper put on her big girl panties, took a deep breath and made her way to the little waiting area, her heart firmly in her throat.

She had imagined meeting Alex so many times and if she wasn't wrong, this had actually been one of the scenarios; a chance meeting at a coffee shop. Of course, Piper hadn't been caught so off-guard and Alex hadn't been completely oblivious to the younger woman's presence, but the outcome was always the same. It never ended well.

As Piper reluctantly joined her, she tried to avert her eyes in the hopes that she could blend into the background, just another nice blonde lady waiting for her coffee, but no. The space for those waiting for their drinks was limited and as Alex saw someone come closer to her through her peripheral vision, she moved backwards a little to make more room. As she did, she muttered a quiet 'sorry' and glanced up at the woman she was moving for before looking back down at her phone. Piper was pretty sure she could feel her heart stop pumping, painfully skipping a beat as she waited for the connections to be made in Alex's mind. It took a second for it to register and Piper was almost positive she could hear the 'no no no' being repeated in Alex's head, but Alexs attention was finally taken off her phone and focused entirely on the blonde.

"Piper" Alex breathed, the name falling from her lips involuntarily. Piper didn't know what to do or what to say. What does one say when faced with an ex? Especially when things didn't exactly end well. Hi? How're you? Pfft. Holding one hand up, she cast her eyes up to the ceiling.

"Guilty as charged" Pipers lips pulled up at the corners in an attempt at a smile but the laugh she had intended never came out and she felt as guilty as she had labelled herself. Which, of course, she was. She had felt that guilt eat at her from the inside out ever since the second she had tugged her suitcase behind her and tried to drown out the sound of Alex's sob as she closed the door. That sound had literally haunted her, replaying in her mind late at night when all her body wanted to do was sleep, but her brain was dead set on thinking over what she could have done differently, if Alex was okay, if she'd been caught, if she was still travelling, if she had a new girl, if her hair still had blue ends. As it turned out, her hair was now completely black, the only blue visible being the piercing eyes that were now flitting over Pipers face, taking in every feature and trying to determine if she was real or not.

"What…what're you doing here?" Alex stumbled over her words, her eyes still wide and unbelieving. Piper shrugged. She was trying so hard to not peace the fuck out, leave her coffee and her ex-girlfriend behind and pretend that this was all just a horrible, horrible dream. But she was pretty sure Alex wouldn't be left behind without answers twice and she would be chased down the street if she were to leave now.

"I come here to get my coffee every morning"

"You hate Starbucks" Alex threw back immediately, scoffing and crossing her arms over her chest. The speed of her answer caught Piper off guard. Of course Alex would remember her distaste for the coffee chain. They had travelled the world and a number of times Piper had opted for a water from a dodgy corner shop rather than give her money to 'those fuckers'. Alex had always laughed at her, shrugging her shoulders and going in to order one for herself, meeting Piper outside. It was at one of these times, as she stood leant against a wall waiting for Alex to reemerge clutching her drink, she realised that there was nothing that would stop Alex from doing what she wanted to. She wanted a coffee? She was going to leave Piper outside and get one. She wanted to work through the entire weekend and get her business completely sorted out? She was going to leave Piper to wander the city alone and do it.

You know it wasn't like that either.

"I guess things have changed" Piper eventually offered. Alex's eyes searched hers, a look so intense that Piper had to stop herself from looking away.

"I guess they have". Her tone was far colder than Piper had expected, but she guessed that maybe she should have seen it coming. There was never going to be a big, warm reconciliation with them. There was never going to be hugs and tears and happiness because Piper had smashed that chance out of the water the day Alex's mother had died. They had always been fire or ice, no room for in between, and this should have been expected; the icy glare of Alex beating down on her, the cool tone of her voice. Deep down, no matter how much she had imagined things differently, hoped they would, one day, be okay again, Piper knew that there would be no warmth in their reunion.

There was silence as the two women looked the other up and down. Piper, for one, didn't have a clue what to say and she was pretty sure that Alex, the Alex who always had the right words, was either at a loss or had decided not to waste her time and energy trying.

Piper wasn't sure which would hurt more.

She looked Alex up and down and decided that she looked … different. Different and yet completely the same. She was still gorgeous, her beautiful face striking, but Piper was sure that she had lost a bit of weight. It didn't suit her. Her features were more angular giving her a harsher look which made Pipers stomach flip. Alex had never been one to diet, revelling in her curves and saying there was too much good food in this world for her to be worried about her appearance in a bikini. Of course, that would usually be followed up with a wink and a comment about how she knew she looked damn fine in a bikini as it was. Piper would always roll her eyes and laugh but they both knw it was true.

"Alex?"

Her name was called by a young girl who placed her order down with disinterest, as if her saying that name wasn't the excuse Alex needed to leave Piper behind and never look back. Panicking, Piper looked between the cup and Alex, her mouth opening and shutting. Taking a breath, she calmed herself.

"Can you… do you have time to sit down for a while?" Alex look taken aback. She shifted her weight to her other foot and tucked her phone in her pocket, tapping a black painted nail on the plastic top of her cup. Piper could see the 'no' forming on her tongue and prepared herself for it, but she couldn't shake the feeling that if she let Alex walk out the door, she would regret it. It would keep her up at night, her mind playing out a million different situation. This could end badly, so badly, but she needed it to end. Somehow.

"Just for a while. Just for ten minutes". She hates the pleading that can be heard in her voice, but she needs this. But still, all the signals that she is getting from Alex say she is going to leave. So it's a surprise to her – and probably to Alex herself – when she lets out a small tut of annoyance, rolls her eyes and gives a petulant 'fine'. Before she can see the smile that has taken over Pipers face, she's already turned and made her way over to an empty table at the back of the shop, waiting for Piper to join her.

As Piper watched Alex lean on the table, face in her palm, she tried to calm herself. She had so much to say to the woman, but she probably only had the promised ten minutes. How could she say everything she needed to in ten small minutes? As she waited for the young guy making her drink to perfect it, she kept her eyes firmly on her ex. Jesus, she was here. Alex was here. Really here in front of her, sipping on a regular latte, no sugar, while she waited for her pretentious yuppie city girl coffee.

She supposed deep down, once you got past the surface, she always had been the overly complicated one.

-x-

Part two should be up soon! Thank you all for reading. Your thoughts are always appreciated if you have a moment!