Chapter 3: If I choose your sanctuary

and if I choose your sanctuary
I want to wash you with my hair
I want to drink of sacred fountains
and find the riches hidden there

A slant of light gradually moved around the room in the early morning, eventually falling over Piper's face. She threw an arm over her eyes in a futile attempt to stave off the new day, then rolled onto her side, slowly waking.

The first thing she saw as she blinked open her eyes was a bottle of Healthy Vibes lube and a purple bra. Neither of these things were her own and she frowned, trying to get her bearings, uncertain of her surroundings.

Alex, she thought, a slow smile beginning to form as the memory of the previous evening came back to her. She turned in bed and reached for the other woman, finding only cold, crumpled bedsheets where she'd expected her to be. She shuffled across the bed a little, resting her head on Alex's pillow as she listened for signs of life in the apartment. The bed smelled of sex and perfume and… something else. Something familiar that she couldn't quite place.

Piper stretched in bed and slowly sat up. She combed her fingers through her hair and frowned slightly as she came across a sore spot on the back of her head, having no recollection of how it'd got there. She looked around the room, then stood and pulled on a black Pearl Jam t-shirt from the top of Alex's laundry basket before leaving the bedroom in search of the other woman.

She found her seated at the counter in the kitchen, dressed in skinny black jeans and a white tank top, nursing a cup of coffee, laptop open in front of her. Alex glanced at her as she entered the room then looked back at her computer. "Nice tee," she murmured.

"Thanks. I've always been a fan of Kurt Cobain."

Alex choked on her mouthful of coffee, coughing and spluttering as it came out of her nose.

Piper grinned and threw a kitchen towel at her, before kissing her on the side of the head. "Kidding," she whispered, then moved away to pour herself a coffee from the pot on the counter.

Alex wiped her face as she watched Piper move around her kitchen. The t-shirt only just covered her ass and watching it rise up as Piper reached into the cupboard for a coffee mug brought a smirk to Alex's face and completely wiped away any lingering irritation with the Pearl Jam / Nirvana quip.

"I can feel you watching me, you know" Piper said, without turning around.

Alex shrugged and didn't even try to deny it. "Half-naked hot girl in my kitchen wearing nothing but my favourite t-shirt. Of course I'm watching. I'm only human."

Piper turned, coffee in hand and smiled shyly. "You think I'm hot?"

"Duh."

She leaned back against the counter and took a sip of coffee as Alex returned her attention to her computer.

"I have a sore head" she said, remembering the tender spot from earlier.

Alex didn't even turn around. "Pain killers, second drawer down."

Piper frowned slightly. "I don't know how I did it."

"Sex injury."

"Excuse me?"

"Sex injury," Alex repeated, attention still on the screen of her computer. "They happen all the time. You banged it on the door in the bathroom stall, moments before I was interrupted from banging you."

"Ahhhh." Piper nodded, her hand moving to touch the back of her head, smiling a little as she remembered. "Of course."

Alex typed something on her laptop before closing the lid and spinning on the stool to face the other woman. "Consider yourself lucky," she began as she pushed her glasses up and into her hair, "I've got a sore fucking mouth."

Piper frowned. "What's wrong with your mouth?"

Alex scrunched her face up, then took a mouthful of coffee, shaking her head.

Piper moved closer, brushed Alex's hair over her shoulder and placed her coffee on the counter beside her.

"Al?"

"Hmm?" Alex replied, looking up at the other woman who moved to stand between her legs.

She tilted her head slightly, observing Alex's face carefully, looking for any signs of injury, concern showing in her eyes. "What's the matter with your mouth?"

Alex slid her coffee mug alongside Piper's on the counter, then placed both of her hands on the blonde woman's hips. "Sex injury," she replied quietly, looking at Piper's throat. She wet her lips with her tongue and moved her eyes slowly up to meet the other woman's, trying hard to keep her expression and tone serious. "You broke my tongue, Pipes."

Piper's eyes widened momentarily, then she started to laugh. Alex grinned up at her. "It's true," she protested. "It's not funny, kid, seriously, it's fucking killing me!"

"What did you do?"

"No no, what did you do, you mean."

Piper waved her hand dismissively. "Whatever. What's the matter with it?"

"It's this little bit here," Alex started, opening her mouth and trying to talk whilst showing Piper the problem. "Ith, ike, dorn o umfum…"

"Torn? What's torn?"

"Ith! Wite werrrr…."

Piper frowned, trying to peer inside Alex's mouth. Alex appeared to be trying to lift her tongue and point beneath it.

"Keep still..." Piper said, twisting a little to afford herself a better view. "Oh, wow. Oh, wow Al, how did you do that?"

There was a small tear in Alex's lingual frenulum.

"Do you see it? What is it?" Alex asked, finally removing her fingers from her mouth.

"It's that little bit that connects your tongue to the bottom of your mouth. There's a tiny little tear in it."

"It hurts. Are you sure it's only tiny? It hurts like hell."

Piper rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "You're such a wuss. Suck it up, buttercup."

Alex raised an eyebrow. "Really? You cause me this injury that's giving me a considerable amount of discomfort and the best you can come up with is ''suck it up, buttercup''? Thanks for your support!"

"I'm not sure why I'm getting the blame for this. How is it my fault?"

Alex leaned back a little so she could clearly see Piper's face. "Really?"

"Really!"

"You really haven't worked it out?"

Alex watched Piper's expression as she thought about this, trying hard to recall how she might have been the cause of this peculiar injury. She realised after a moment that Piper wasn't going to get it, so decided to give her a hint.

Leaning back against the counter on her elbows, Alex let her head fall back and eyes close. "Oh yeah," she breathed, "right there, Al… oh fuck, yeah, that's it… don't stop, please don't stop… ohhhh…"

She heard Piper's quiet gasp and lifted her head again just in time to see the blonde's hand fly to cover her mouth. "No!" she exclaimed from behind her hand.

Alex nodded, smirking. "Yep."

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry."

Alex shrugged and gave the other woman a half-smile. "Hazard of the job. You really made me work for it last night, kid."

"I'm sorry," Piper repeated, "I had no idea, I just, you were just, it was just…"

"You gonna finish a sentence, or should I just fill in the blanks myself?" she grinned, reaching for the other woman again and pulling her closer.

Alex slid her arms around Piper's waist and turned her head to the side, resting it on her chest as she cuddled in close. She felt Piper's hands run lightly over her shoulders and then her cheek rest against the top of her head.

"Coconut," Piper murmured.

"Hmm?"

"Coconut. When I woke this morning I lay on your pillow and there was a smell I couldn't place and it was this. It's coconut."

"Mmm. Shampoo."

"I like it."

"I like you."

Both women smiled, then Alex moved away slightly and looked up. "Too much?"

"Never." Piper breathed as she dipped her head and kissed the brunette softly on the lips.

Alex moved her hands to Piper's thighs and slowly slid them upward as they kissed, her hands gliding over her skin to her hips. She rubbed her thumbs in small circles over Piper's hipbones, her head tilted up into the kiss.

When they separated, Alex smiled up at the other woman. "That t-shirt looks great on you."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, but it'll look even better…"

"On your bedroom floor?" Piper finished, smiling.

"It worked last night," Alex grinned "why change a winning formula?"

Piper took a step back, grabbed Alex's wrist and pulled her back towards the bedroom, as soon as they got there Alex stepped closer and held the shorter woman's hips from behind, pressing her lips to the side of her neck, kissing just below her ear.

"You smell so good, Pipes," Alex whispered, biting gently on her earlobe. She moved her hands up under the t-shirt, stroking Piper's skin slowly, holding her close. Piper leaned back, lifting her right arm and sliding her hand against Alex's neck and into her hair, holding onto her as she felt fingers ghost across her breast, her nipple hardening at just the slightest of touches.

She turned her head, straining around, lips seeking contact with Alex's skin, any contact at all. Alex obliged, moving her head forward, her lips meeting Piper's as her hand squeezed her breast, other hand sliding down the crease of her hip.

Both women were startled just a moment later when the synth intro to "The Final Countdown" by Europe filled the quiet room.

"What the fuck?"

"Shit! Sorry, sorry, it's my phone…"

Piper sprang forward, rummaging through her bag at the side of Alex's bed. "It's my phone, I'm sorry, it's…" she glanced at the display as she sat on the edge of the bed, then looked up at Alex. "It's Polly."

"Leave it."

"I can't."

"Sure you can. Just put the phone down and leave it."

"She's calling to check I'm okay. After last night. She'll worry if I don't answer."

"Piper, leave it." Alex's voice was quiet but firm and the other woman looked up at her, noticing the change in her tone.

Alex raised a questioning eyebrow, but otherwise remained silent. Piper looked back at the phone in her hand just as it stopped ringing.

"Well that's that decision made then," she muttered.

Alex stayed silent.

Piper looked up at her. "She's just worried about me, because of last night."

"Because she thinks you were sick."

"Yeah."

Alex nodded. "Because you lied to her."

"Well, technically, I guess, yeah."

"Because you'd rather she think you're sick, than with me."

Piper opened and closed her mouth twice before standing and moving towards the other woman. She'd taken only two steps when the phone in her hand started to ring again. She paused and looked at the display. Polly.

She looked at Alex and gave her a helpless look, before accepting the call and raising the phone to her ear.

By the time the call ended a couple of minutes later, Alex was gone. A note sat atop the kitchen counter, it simply said: leave