"Hey kid. Good to see you again."
It's her.
You stand still for a moment, the two of you connected, as her hands remain, resting lightly on your shoulders, and for a moment you think about how she is the first person to touch you since the weekend when your life fell apart. Even through your jacket, you can feel the warmth of her touch, radiating out to every corner of your being.
Physical contact; so often you had taken it for granted, only now noticing its complete absence from the past few days from the simple touch of a stranger; how so much can be said with out the need for words; so much so that this simple action renders you speechless.
She's still looking at you, those perfect green eyes searching your face as she tries to work out if you are OK, whether the panic is subsiding enough for her to release you from the gentle hold she has on you.
But she doesn't let go of you, and her hands continue to hold on to you, although you consider whether she's actually holding you together, as opposed on to you.
So even though your breathing is returning to normal; even though the wild look in your eyes is subsiding as the train rumbles into life, continuing on its journey as if nothing had happened; even though you are a complete stranger to her.
She doesn't let go.
You focus on those long slender fingers that are placed on your shoulders. The touch is so light its barely there, but it offers you the weight you need to feel grounded, secure, safe. There is concern in those green eyes as they look to you, still searching, seeming to delve into the heart of you, easily discovering that it may appear that on the surface you are fine, but underneath you are complete chaos.
It scares you that she seems to be able to see past the façade you constantly display to the world, that she can see you for who you really are, what you really are.
You are shattered.
You are completely broken.
The train is picking up speed again and the two of you start to sway; you notice her hand grips your shoulder a little more tightly as the rocking of the carriage unbalances her for a second. But she still doesn't break her hold of you; instead her eyes narrow slightly as if she is contemplating what to do next. The movement is only small, but with a slight movement of her head, she indicates to the seats to the side of where you both stand.
It makes sense, to sit down, but it means she will no longer be as close, you won't be able to feel her warm breath falling over you, covering you in a blanket of calm, bringing you down from the heights your panic drove you to. If you sit down, this connection between you will be broken, the chance for her to move away from you possible. You just don't want that to happen, so you remain standing, mind racing in an attempt to keep her close to you for just a moment longer.
Her voice breaks you out of your thoughts, it is deep and raspy, but the tone is light, playful even, and it makes you smile to hear it,
"Look kid, can we sit down? I can't keep hold of you and keep standing, I'm good, but not that good. This crappy train is rocking all over the place, it feels like I'm gonna fall over any minute…"
She is chuckling as she speaks, and you know that she is trying to keep the mood light as she tries to guide you to act, not wanting to force you to do anything. You nod, although your head barely moves, it would have been imperceptible to most, but she sees it, offers a slow smile in return, takes a small step back and waits for you to move first.
As you turn to sit, she can no longer hold onto you with both hands, but you can still feel her touch on your shoulder, a light squeeze reminding you she is still there.
You are still tense, you can still feel the remnants of panic in your body, but at least it is subsiding now, but as that particular sensation leaves, it leads the way for exhaustion.
You notice the touch on your shoulder disappears as the woman flops heavily into the seat beside you, and now the closeness between you comes only from arms pressed against one another, a forced proximity from the seating arrangement in the carriage, not through choice anymore.
Without her touch - you push your body into the cold, hard surface of the seat, a poor attempt to remain connected with something in the world around you that can offer a fragment of stability and comfort.
It only takes a moment, but as the exhaustion begins to sweep through you, like waves crashing against rocks, and you begin to feel overwhelmed by it all.
So you drop your head, closing your eyes as you try to shut out your surroundings for a moment. Your hands are flat against your thighs, fingers spreading out as your hands tense and relax slowly. You try to focus on the movement, trying to find a way to bring yourself down from the thoughts flying around you, back towards something smaller, something closer, something more tangible.
But you fail.
Because all you can think about is her. This perfect creature who has haunted your thoughts for last few days, only to materialise at the very point you needed someone to be there for you. Who is so close to you now, but seems so distant at the same time.
You screw your eyes tighter still, hoping that it brings you a focus that will enable you to work out what to say to her that can express your gratitude, offer some explanation as to the why, the reasoning behind your earlier actions, what happened to push you so far, that drove you to be like you are.
But you never need to find the words, as you feel her touch, her cool hand resting on top of your own once again. The slow movement as her long fingers wrap around your left hand, and it makes you wonder how one small touch, how this contact from someone you have no connection to, no knowledge of, can ground you so completely, slow the world from spinning so fast around you, yet make your heart race, beating against your chest so hard, you feel as if those around you can hear it's pounding rhythm.
Her voice is low, barely a whisper against your ear as she leans towards your, the closeness no longer something you feel has been forced upon her, its welcomed, and initiated by her once again.
"Are you going to be OK?"
It's a simple enough question, considering what she has seen you go through on the carriage, after it was plunged into darkness and you panicked, fighting for your escape.
But she can't know how much weight that question actual holds for you. After the weekend, after all the shit you went through, how you had longed for someone to ask you that, but no one knew what you had gone though – no one cared enough to see through that barrier you put up.
Until now.
You raise your head and stare out in front of you for a moment longer, your focus on the carriage before you, before turning to face this person who was offering you so much solace and currently asking for nothing in return.
"I've been better..." There is a trace of laughter in your voice and you attempt a smile, not one that's forced, but a genuine attempt. As your eyes rise to meet hers, you see the concern etched across her face ease for a moment, the corner of her mouth curling slightly as she notes your attempt at humour. "...but thank you. You didn't have to help me." You glance around at the others in the carriage, everyone a witness to your moment of panic, yet none of them offering anything as close to the comfort this woman offered you now.
She shifts in her seat, angling her body so she is turned to face you, her hand still wrapped around your own.
"I couldn't let you go on much longer kid, either you were going to smash that door down, or you were going to end up with a couple of broken hands..." Her thumb is tracing over your knuckles, the cuts and grazes evidence to your futile attempts at escaping; the skin blooming with colour already as the bruises start to settle under the swollen skin "...and I think I know which of those outcomes was more likely. But I have to say, there's a strength in you I've never seen before..."
It's there again, the concern in her voice, in her green eyes that bore into your own, almost fixing you to the spot, stilling your mind and movements so you are unable to escape from her gaze, from her presence.
You will your body to move, to break free from this spell you seem to be in around her, as you extend your free hand, offering it towards her, your own voice low, barely a whisper, "Am I allowed to know the name of my savior then, or are you going to disappear into the night as soon as we arrive at the next stop?"
Her laugh ripples though you and extends her own hand to meet your own, her grasp firm as she offers her introduction, laughter inflected in her voice,
"I'm no ones savior kid, but the name is Alex. Alex Vause. Nice to meet you..." She drags her last word out, expecting you to fill in the rest.
"Piper. Piper Chapman."
"Well, Piper Chapman, the pleasure really is all mine."
There is a spark in her green eyes that captivates you, something about the way she holds herself, an easy confidence that makes it so simple to feel relaxed around her, and it is all that is needed for you to let go of your concerns as you both slip into an easy conversation. Nothing specific, just general talk as you are both keen to keep the conversation light, but before you realise it, you are you are nearly at your stop, and you don't want to have to leave what seems to be developing between the two of you. It's new and unknown, but at the same time seems like you have known one another forever.
You shift in your seat, glancing out of the window, eyes narrowing as you make out the station name in the dimming light, all the while wondering what will happen when you need to leave the train to go home, will Alex let you go? Will she follow you? Would you stay and follow her? You mind is racing and once again, Alex saves you from yourself, she already seems to be able to read your thoughts, and squeezes your hand gently to get your attention before she speaks,
"Look, my stop is coming up – there is an excellent little Italian restaurant I know of just a short walk from there. I can really recommend the cannelloni after a really, umm, stressful day, if you'd care to join me?"
The question hangs in the air between you, and for a moment you wonder whether she is doing this more out of pity, like she has some sort of duty to look after you.
"I don't want to impose any further on your day Alex, you've helped me so much already." You look away, not wanting to look at the face that already seems so familiar to you, that you could recall with your eyes closed in an instance.
She chuckles, squeezing your hand again to gain your attention, as you meet her gaze, you can see that her offer is genuine, her words confirming what you are beginning realise, that Alex doesn't want to leave whatever this is between you just yet, she doesn't want your time together to come to an end just yet either.
"You'll be doing me a favour. My flat-mate is out of town, I hate the thought of cooking, let alone cooking for one, and anyway, good food should always be eaten with good company. What do you say?"
You look down at yourself, you are dressed smart enough for an office, but its not the clothing choice you would make for a meal with someone you feel has so much potential to be something in your life. Even after she has seen you at such a low point, you still want to make an impression, to be some version of the Piper you believe you can be, that you now are.
"I'm hardly dressed for dining out Alex."
There is a smirk, a raised eyebrow as she looks you up and down, a smile reaching across her face, "Pipes, its fine, you, look fine." You open your mouth to disagree, to give her once last chance to back out of the offer, but Alex is speaking again before you have the chance to say anything further. "Look. Morello's is a great place, trust me; its great food, good drinks and a relaxed atmosphere. They don't care whether you come in a suit, or jeans, they just want you to enjoy the food…" There is a glint in her eye as she delivers the last line, "and if it makes you feel any better, you can buy me a drink to say thank you for saving that door from a fate worse than death..."
So you find yourself nodding and smiling, agreeing to the offer, leaning into Alex as her slender arm reaches around you, pulling you closer.
You stand on the platform for a moment, watching the train pull away into the darkness ahead of it, wheels clattering against the metal of the tracks, red taillights vanishing into the depths of the tunnel. Departing passengers move around you, making their way along the platform to the stairs and out into the night air, until it is just the two of you that remain.
Alex is slowly making her way to the entrance, but stops when she hears you speak, the low tone of your voice carrying easily as the station becomes still once more. "When I saw you for the first time, I'd had the worst weekend, possibly the worst in my entire life and I felt like complete shit."
You hear her turn in her place, slow footsteps sounding on the dull concrete as she moves closer to you – but you remain where you are, looking out to the other side of the platform, "Then there you were. Stood there, across the tracks and I couldn't take my eyes off you, you know"
"I know" Her voice is barely a whisper as she leans close to your ear, you can hear the smile in her voice, can picture the smirk that is on her face, but still you don't turn to look at her.
"When you got on that train, I thought I wouldn't see you again; two strangers meeting again in a city this size - it would have to be some sort of miracle, right?" Alex doesn't say a word, but stays rooted in her place at the side of you, her hand resting in the small of your back as she listens to you voice your thoughts. "But then you were in that taxi, you were on the train tonight, it's almost like us meeting, was, I don't know…"
Her voice is louder this time, and her choice of words takes your breath away, because hadn't you considered the same word to yourself?
"Inevitable?"
Two days after seeing Alex for the first time across the tracks, after falling for her so completely without even knowing her, you are back once again, more or less in the same spot, but this time, she was wasn't separated from you by the divide created by the tracks.
This time she was stood by the side of you, now moving carefully to stand in front of you as an arm wraps slowly around your waist, a hand rising gracefully to push a strand of loose hair behind your ear, a smile growing on her face; green eyes beginning to shine as she looks to you.
As you feel her presence alongside you – there is an unmistakable buzzing throughout your whole body. Almost like electricity arcing between two points, the air between you buzzing as if your nerve endings feel every little movement, every small touch; as if all of a sudden something has switched on inside of you and you feel, alive.
You don't need to think about what you do next, it's done as if you've stood like this a million times before; the small distance between the two of you is closed in an instance, as you place your lips on hers, a smile crossing your face as you do so, reveling in the feeling as she tightens her hold on you, capturing you in her possession.
The kiss for now is gentle and chaste but throughout its brief and fleeting moment, you know that Alex is smiling as much as you are. As you pull away, you utter no words but the looks that flow between you say all that is needed. So instead you take her hand in your own and move together towards the steps that will take you out into the world that now lies open in front of you both.
As the cool evening air wraps around your body, as the two of you begin to walk along the sidewalk; you can not help but feel the tremor of your heart in your chest as look to Alex, then to your intertwined hands whispering as much to the cold night air as to yourself,
"Yes. Inevitable."
A/N:
OK, again – so, so, so damn sorry it has taken an inordinate amount of time to get this finished. It's been the hardest one for me to write; I've had a number of false starts and botched attempts with this last chapter, I hope this chapter wraps it up enough for everyone – please let me know what you think.