A/N: Long time no speak! Sorry once again for the long wait since the last update, I'm starting my GCSE's in a couple months so my time is mainly dedicated to revision and I have had literally no time to write, so updates probably won't be as frequent as they used to be as a consequence for my exams. I hope this chapter is worth the wait, read and review please! Your reviews mean the world :) Apologies for any typos.
"Girlfriend?" all of the colour drained from Pipers shocked face and anger coursed through her veins and Alex's furious girlfriend stood in the middle of the living room with square shoulders and clenched fists, looking like she was ready to punch someone. And that someone was probably going to Piper.
"Sylvie, let me explain." Alex pleaded as she stood from her seat so she was next to Piper and Sylvie scoffed loudly.
"Explain? You don't need to explain anything! I leave the state for one week and you've already found some slut to keep your bed warm." The enraged woman let out a bitter laugh that made Pipers skin crawl and she scowled at what she had just been called. Alex took a step forward so she was now stood in front of Piper, almost as if she was protecting her from her girlfriend's harsh words.
"Don't you dare call her that." Alex's voice was low and hostile and another mocking sneer grew on Sylvie's face.
"Getting protective over her now are we?"
Alex remained silent.
"I'm going to go and unpack and if she isn't gone by the time I'm back," Sylvie pointed her finger towards Piper and the blonde cowered behind Alex even more, "I will personally drag her out of here." She lowered the hand that was pointing towards a fearful Piper and picked up her large travel bag from the floor and stormed out of the dimly lit living room and into the hallway, slamming the bedroom door behind her.
As soon as she heard the door slam loudly, Alex spun around on her heel and looked at Piper with pleading eyes. "Piper I'm so sorry."
The blonde looked at the girl opposite her with a cold, impassive expression. "You're sorry? I can't believe you."
"I know. This is really fucked up, but me and Sylvie-"
Piper interrupted Alex's speech with a quiet, bitter laugh and she shook her head, "You take me out for dinner to one of the most expensive restaurants in the whole city, you play your little games with me and we almost have sex on your fucking couch. Let's not forget it was you that made the first move. So yeah I agree with you, this is fucked up."
Alex just stared at Piper as she tried to fabricate some kind of explanation, but she knew absolutely nothing could make this horrible situation any better, no matter how hard she tried. Alex knew she had screwed up massively. She knew that Piper would probably never forgive her and that killed her. "Please, just hear me out."
"I don't want to hear it. Nothing you can say will be able to make up for this Alex." Piper dismissed and she watched all hope drain from the brunette's face, yet she felt no sympathy for her what so ever. Alex brought this upon herself.
"Pipes, please."
Piper raised her hand to signal for Alex to stop talking and her jaw clenched, "Don't call me that."
Alex flinched at the blonde's icy tone and she watched the blonde attentively as she balanced on one leg to slip on her shoe and then alternated to the other leg to do the same. "What are you doing?" Alex asked, forgetting that Sylvie had threatened Piper if she wasn't gone by the time she had finished unpacking.
"I'm leaving. I'd rather not get assaulted by your girlfriend."
"Let me see you out." Alex raised her hand to place it on Piper's forearm, but she recoiled from the contact and the discouraged brunette's arm dropped down back to her side and hung there rather awkwardly.
"I can make my own way out."
Alex sighed and reluctantly stepped to the side and Piper made no delay of swiftly removing herself from the almost suffocating atmosphere of the living room. She made her way to the hallway, picked up her small clutch bag that had been dropped on the floor and exited the apartment without saying any word of goodbye.
Now it was just Alex and Sylvie together in the apartment, the brunette slumped herself down on to the couch and put her head in her hands and sighed, realizing just how badly she had screwed up.
"So let me get this straight. She wined and dined you, made out with you in her car and then took you back to her place where you made out some more before her psycho girlfriend walked in?"
Piper nodded, "Polly it looked like she was going to tackle me."
"To be honest, if I came home from a vacation and saw someone on top of the person I was dating, I'd want to tackle them. No offence."
Piper sighed and took a sip of wine from the large glass in her hand and slouched even further in to the corner of Polly's couch, "I'm not even that angry anymore. I'm just confused as to why she didn't tell me she has a girlfriend."
Piper was still angry, but nowhere near as much as she was when she was stood face-to-face with Sylvie. After she left Alex's apartment she didn't bother to get a taxi so instead she walked home in the freezing cold in her tiny dress that wasn't properly zipped up. She needed the fresh air to calm herself down because she felt like screaming because of how furious she was. When she got home she got herself an ice cold beer and drank it within seconds, got changed in to her pyjamas and went to bed hoping that if she slept her anger would disperse for when she woke up. It did, slightly. When she stirred from a not so peaceful slumber she gave Polly a call to let her know she would be stopping by and now fast forward a couple of hours, here she is sat on her friends couch drinking her third glass of wine and taking about the previous night's bizarre events.
"Do you think she'll end it with this Sylvie person?"
"I don't know."
"Do you want her to?"
Piper sighed and shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know."
Polly took a final sip of her wine and placed the empty glass on the floor, "When did you turn gay anyway?"
The blonde furrowed her brows as she looked at Polly with a perplexed expression, "What? You don't just turn gay."
"So have you always been gay?"
"Polly! Stop it with the questions, please?" Piper pleaded, she wasn't particularly in the mood to answer the brunettes never ending questions regarding her personal life.
"What's so special about this Alex chick anyway?"
Piper rolled her eyes at her friend's refusal to stop being so inquisitive and she paused for a moment, "I don't know, there's just something about her."
"Like...?" Polly encouraged Piper to elaborate.
"Like, she just has this energy about her. Whenever I'm talking to her or in the same room as her I feel like a teenager again. I can't explain what it is but there's just something about her."
As Piper finished her sentence and took another sip of her wine, a teasing smirk grew on her friends face that only made her more confused, "What?" Piper asked.
The brunette laughed, "You so want her to dump her girlfriend."
"You've done a lot of fucked up things Alex. But this is messed up, even for you." Sylvie growled as she paced across the small living room in anger. Alex was perched on her couch and Sylvie was stood opposite her unable to stand still for more than thirty seconds. The scene resembled one of a furious mother disciplining her misbehaving child.
It was now the following day and to Alex's joy she hadn't really seen her girlfriend much until now. Once Piper had left last night and left the brunette alone in the painfully silent room, Sylvie stormed in to check that she had gone and once she was satisfied that the room was clear, she offered a rather threatening 'I'll deal with you tomorrow' in Alex's direction and vanished into the bedroom. There was no way Alex was going and getting in bed with her. She was stupid, but she wasn't that stupid, so instead she slept on the couch. Once she woke up the following morning with an aching back and neck she quietly crept into the bedroom where Sylvie was thankfully still sound asleep to get a change of clothes, she got dressed and drove to work where she had spent the entire day hiding. Sadly though the complete bliss of peace and quiet had to come to an end. When Alex finally returned home, Sylvie was waiting for her and she seemed to be even more enraged than she was when she first came home which Alex thought was impossible, and so now she was receiving the inevitable backlash for her actions.
"When did you meet her?" Sylvie questioned as she finally stood still her feet shoulder width apart and her arms tight folded together.
"That doesn't matter," A unusually timid Alex spoke, refusing to make eye contact with the standing woman.
"I'm going to give you another chance to answer me, Alex. When did you meet her?" Alex's muscles tightened at the harsh sound of Sylvie's last words and her eyes looked up into her girlfriend's dull irises that were burning with rage.
"A couple days before you left."
A bitter and cruel laugh escaped the smaller woman's mouth that was shaped as a mocking grin and Alex felt the anger building up inside of her, "Well done." The brunette slowly clapped her hands and the deafening sound echoed throughout the apartment, Alex scowled at Sylvie's mocking tone.
"You've known her for what, one week? Maybe two and you're already getting into her pants? That's a new record."
Alex abruptly stood to her full height and stepped closer to the taunting woman that was separated from her by the tiny coffee table. Even the toughest of men would get a little nervous in the intimidating raven haired girls presence, but Sylvie's stern and aggressive facade didn't falter despite being tiny compared to Alex.
"Hey," Alex shouted, "Do you want me to say i'm sorry for what I've done? I'm not sorry about what happened, I'm glad I did it."
"No, I don't you to apologize for almost fucking some slut on our couch," Alex flinched and clenched her fists at the sound of the cruel label Sylvie had given to Piper. Sylvie paused for a brief moment to reign in her temper slightly. "I want you to choose."
"Choose?"
The smaller woman unfolded her arms and let them hang at her sides, "It's either me or her. Choose."
This required no thought really on Alex's part. Sylvie was a good girlfriend in the early stages of their relationship and Alex really did think she used to feel something for her. Now though, things were completely different. Alex hated being around her girlfriend, she hated their tedious conversations that always felt forced and just being in the company of the other woman made the raven haired girl feel uncomfortable. She wanted to end things a long time ago, but whenever the conversation regarding their relationship ever got brought up Sylvie completely changed the topic as quickly as she could and things often ended up with her storming out of the apartment, leaving an angry and frustrated Alex alone. Piper on the other hand actually made Alex feel something. Everything about the blonde was special, when she spoke she had Alex hooked on her every word and the brunette was astonished at how effortlessly beautiful she was. Alex could see herself having a future with Piper even though such a thing now seemed very unlikely because of her actions. With Sylvie it doesn't really matter to the brunette what happens between them because really, Alex couldn't give a shit. With Piper though it actually made Alex feel sick knowing she had potentially messed things up for the two of them.
Now though, the ball was in Alex court, and she knew exactly what she wanted to do.
"I pick her. I pick Piper."
The colour drained from Sylvie's face and Alex knew that she had just completely devastated her. Not that she cared.
"You pick her." Sylvie said, her tone was flat as she confirmed the words she so desperately didn't want to hear.
Alex nodded and she watched Sylvie's heartbroken expression quickly morph in to one of rage.
"You know what, fuck you." The smaller woman took a step back while still staring at a rather nonchalant Alex before she spun around on her heel and stormed towards the apartment door. Within a few seconds, Alex heard the door open and close and practically the whole apartment shook through the brute force of the slam. Alex collapsed her exhausted body down on the couch and let out a long sigh as she ran her fingers through her hair. She knew she had made the right the decision by ending things with Sylvie, but now is where things get difficult. The arduous task of getting Piper to forgive her was something Alex was certainty not looking forward to and even getting her to answer her calls would be a miracle.
But still, Alex knows she's worth it.
The shrill sound of her ringtone was silenced as Piper tapped the 'decline' button with her thumb and her other hand pushed open the door to the bistro. Alex had been trying to get in touch with her for days and it was taking extreme willpower to ignore her. It had been a full week now since the evening where things went horribly wrong and everyday without fail Alex had been sending texts and attempting to call her pretty much every half an hour. She had already called her half a dozen times already today and it's not even 1pm yet.
It was clearly obvious that she desperately wants Piper to forgive her, not even a blind man could miss that. However though, cheating isn't something Piper can forgive easily. She's had boyfriends cheat on her in the past and it is an absolutely heartbreaking thing to find out, never mind see it happening with your own eyes. If Alex can do such a horrible thing to someone knowing full well how wrong and immoral her actions were, why should Piper forgive her? No matter how badly she wanted to accept one of the constant calls or texts, it wasn't the right thing to do.
Piper slipped her phone back into one of the front pockets of her skin-tight black jeans and wandered over to the counter, joining the back of the reasonably long line. Her and Polly was in the middle of finalizing the wedding preparation (Pete had attempted to help but was dismissed by Polly) and she had just stepped out for some coffee for the pair of them so she could get some fresh air and stretch her legs, but mainly to get away from the fussy brunette and have some much needed peace and quiet. It's not like the bistro is particularly 'peaceful', but it's an improvement to Polly's home.
As the line slowly shuffled along and the strong aroma of freshly brewed coffee lingered around her nose, Piper took a quick glance at the illuminated drinks menu that mounted the wall and picked what her and Polly would have to drink, the brunette didn't actually say what beverage she wanted so hopefully the cafe latte Piper picked out (without much thought) would be decent enough for her. A couple minutes passed and Piper spoke her order to the member of staff that immediately recognized her due to her being a regular customer and he was now in the middle of making her drinks. The blonde stood waiting patiently and she tapped her finger on the counter to the beat of the faint music being played in the background, listening to the sound of the door opening and closing as customers entered and left the bistro. The familiar sound of her ringtone broke her from her trance and she sighed in frustration as she fished the device from her pocket. Thankfully though, this time it wasn't Alex that was calling.
"What's up Polly?"
"Hey, can you do me a favour while you're out?" Of course, she wants something.
"Sure, what do you want?"
"Can you pick up some beers from the store on your way back?" Polly asked, "I'm taking you out tonight."
Piper smirked, "Are you?"
"Yeah I am. I want to thank you for helping me out with everything and the best way I know how to do that is by getting absolutely wrecked"
The blonde laughed and offered a small smile to the uniformed gentleman as he placed her drinks in a small cardboard cup with the bistro's logo printed on it, "Yeah that's true. I need to pay for the drinks though so I have to go, i'll pick up some beers for us on my way back." Piper removed the phone from the side of her face and hung up, placing it back in her pocket while retrieving a scrunched up 10 dollar bill from the same pocket.
"I guess your phone is still working then," A familiar raspy voice sounded from behind her and she spun around, only to see a vexed looking Alex stood with her arms folded tightly across her chest.
"I'm not speaking to you," Piper announced before quickly handing over the money for the drinks and insisting that they can keep the change. She picked up the cups which momentarily burned her hands and started advancing towards the door only to be intercepted by Alex.
"Why have you been ignoring me? Piper I'm sorry, please just let me talk to you." She pleaded.
"Because I don't want to speak to you!" Piper shouted, a number of questioning eyes looked up at the blonde who was now blushing with embarrassment. "I would have thought that you would have guessed I want nothing to do with you." She spoke in a much quieter but still incredibly stern tone and Alex's intimidating facade faltered when she heard the words escape from the blonde's mouth.
Piper stepped to the side to move around Alex but the brunette mirrored her movements, blocking her from exiting the building. "I'm not letting you go until you let me speak to you."
Piper rolled her eyes. She knew Alex was being serious and she would barricade the doors shut to prevent Piper from leaving if she could, so there was no point putting up a fight.
"Fine." The blonde said as she let out an exasperated sigh.
The pair wandered over to a small tabled tucked away in the far corner of the store next to a large window and they sat down simultaneously. There was a moment of silence between them as Alex tried to fabricate anything that could make the situation she had landed herself in any better; she needed to be careful because she knew one wrong word meant Piper would never forgive her. Piper watched her as her patience deteriorated.
"Are you just going to sit there and say nothing?"
Alex shook her head and sat up straight in her chair while clearing her throat, "I ended things with Sylvie."
Pipers eyes widened slightly in surprise. She didn't think Alex would actually end things with her girlfriend, "Why should I care?" She asked harshly. She did care. She was over the fucking moon knowing that Alex was single, but she didn't want her to see that.
"Because she made me pick between you or her, I chose you."
"You shouldn't have done that." She spoke, her tone softer this time, but still assertive.
"No, I needed to end things with her. My life was hell and hers probably was too."
"Just because your lives were hell that still doesn't make cheating an option." Piper said, she could feel her temper coming back as she thought of that night when she felt Alex's soft lips on hers after what felt like an agonizing wait, and when everything fell apart when Sylvie walked in.
Alex looked down to her hands intertwining with each other on the table and she gently shook her head once, she knew it was a stupid thing to do, even for her standards. "I know, and I don't have any excuses for it because I know it was wrong. But Pipes-Piper," Alex corrected herself immediately once she remembered how badly Piper took being called her nickname back at her apartment, "I like you. Like, really fucking like you. I don't think I can stress how much of an asshole I was, but you have no idea how badly I want to make it up to you."
What felt like a swarm of butterflies grew in Pipers stomach when she listened to Alex confess her feelings for her. This was a side to Alex that she had never seen before, her expression showed a rare vulnerability and honesty and Piper knew by the way the brunette spoke, she meant every word. Piper didn't want to admit it but she liked her too, possibly more than she realized and had to discretely bite her lip to stop a smug smile from breaking out on her face. She wasn't going to lie to herself, she's thrilled, ecstatic even that Alex feels the same way as she does. Breaking up with her girlfriend for someone that when Piper thinks about it, barely knows, means that Alex wants to be with her and the thought of that made the blonde want to scream with happiness. Sure, Alex cheating on Sylvie was something Piper would possibly never forgive, but she couldn't deny the profound feelings she has for her.
Alex untangled her fingers and reached out her hand and placed it on top of Pipers that also rested on the table's surface. The blonde focused her eyes on Alex's thumb as it slowly trailed back and forth across the back of her hand and relief washed over the brunette when a barely visible smile crept onto Piper's flawless face, signalling that her hand could stay where it was.
"I don't know Al..." Piper trailed off, watching Alex's slowly moving thumb on her hand attentively.
Alex's expression fell and her movements across Pipers warm and smooth skin halted momentarily. What more could she do? She's apologized what must be hundreds of times over texts and voicemails, she has confessed her feelings for the blonde which is usually like getting blood from a stone with Alex. What more does Piper want from her?
"Come to my place tonight, we can do whatever you want. I can make it up to you properly then."
"I can't. I have plans with Polly." Piper said despondently.
Alex frowned, "Make them for another time. She's your best friend, right? I doubt she'd care."
Piper laughed at just how naive Alex was. Polly would most definitely care if the blonde rearranged their plans, "I don't know, I don't know what to do. This entire situation is so fucked up."
The brunette let out a slow breath and looked down at the table, "I know. I'm pretty much the master of handling things completely wrong..." she trailed off, her hold tightening on Piper's hand. "Stop by my place. If you do, we can try and forget this whole thing ever happened. If you don't, well, I won't bother you again." She spoke firmly, her voice faltering slightly though when she came to the end of her sentence.
Piper didn't say anything, but Alex knew exactly what she was thinking and her words had caused cracks to show in the blonde's phlegmatic facade.
"I have to go," Piper mumbled and Alex nodded her head in understanding. The blonde detached her hands from Alex's and stood up slowly from her seat, she picked up the two coffee cups in her hands and flashed a timid smile at Alex who was watching her every move before wandering over to the exit where she opened the door and vanished from the brunettes sight.
Pipers stiletto heels pounded against the sidewalk and her long strides caused her to cover meters in seconds. She moved the coffee cup in her rights hand so it pressed against her chest and her left forearm held it there so she could use one hand freely, the heat from the cup warming her entire body. She fished out her phone from her pocket and dialled Polly's number.
After ten or so seconds of ringing, Polly answered. "Piper, hey, where are you?"
"I'm on my way back now, sorry about taking so long. I bumped into someone and lost track of time."
"That coffee better not be cold," Polly joked.
Piper laughed quietly, "It's not, don't worry. You know about tonight?"
"Yeah?"
"I can't make it. I remembered my mom wants me to stop by her place for dinner and I really can't let her down."
The brunette sighed out of annoyance, "Fine! I'm only letting you off with this one because I know your mom will never let you live missing this dinner down. We can go out another time, don't worry about it."
A wide smile grew across Pipers face, "Thanks Pol, I'll be back soon." She hung up and pocketed her phone once again, grasping the cup that was pressed against her chest so both of her cold hands were occupied again. She quickly strode down the busy sidewalk back to her friends place with a smug and satisfied grin on her face.
Alex placed the empty beer bottle down on the floor and slouched down into her couch while taking a deep sigh. It was getting late and there was still no sign of Piper. Maybe there's traffic and she's running late? Or maybe she just isn't coming at all. Alex certainly knew what scenario she wants to be the case for the blonde not being where she was most desperately wanted. Her fingers clenched around the TV remote that lay beside her and the small, basic TV that stood in the corner of the living room turned on. Alex flicked through the numerous channels only to find absolutely nothing that satisfied her. She pressed the power off button and threw the remote back onto the couch, leaning her head back onto its plush cushions in the process.
A loud knock at the door caused the brunettes head to shoot up in alert and Alex felt her heart rate speed up drastically. She raised herself from the couch and smoothed out her grey sweater so it was free of any unwanted creases and her long legs clad in skin tight black jeans started to advance towards the entrance to her apartment. The person at the door could be absolutely anyone, but Alex hoped with every fibre of her being that it was Piper that was stood there. It could be one of her neighbours, it could be a delivery guy and it could even be Nicky. It could be anyone.
Alex quickly checked her appearance in the mirror that hung in the corridor and she adjusted her raven locks so that she was satisfied and finally her legs took two more long strides so she was stood facing the door. She took a deep breath and confidently opened the door. A large smile adorned her face as she locked eyes with azure ones and a radiant grin appeared on the flawless profile of the woman opposite her.
"Hi," Piper spoke. Her voice sounded like velvet and it was music to Alex's ears.
"Hi," Alex replied, her emerald eyes scanned every inch of Pipers body and once she had finished digesting the glorious sight before her after a few moments, she stepped to the side. "Come in."
Piper obeyed and slowly stepped through the threshold into the cosy apartment. She breathed in as she passed by the taller girl and a smell of honey mixed with a hint of leather lingered around her nose. Alex smelled fucking amazing.
"I didn't think you were coming," Alex said hesitantly while she shut the door quietly and faced Piper, who was stood with a perfect posture in the middle of the small corridor. Alex was surprised that Piper had actually turned up. She thought that the blonde wanted nothing to do with her after what she did, which was something Alex would completely understand because after all, what she did was a pretty shitty thing to do. But seeing Piper stood there in her hallway practically radiating with beauty obviously meant that she wasn't angry with her anymore, or just that she wasn't particularly in the mood for holding any grudges and knowing that made Alex feel incredibly relieved.
Piper shrugged and looked up into the hypnotising irises of the woman opposite her, "I called Polly and cancelled our plans after I left the coffee store."
The brunette raised her eyebrows and smirked, "And she let you?"
"Well..." Piper trailed off and her expression mirrored the one of the brunettes, as another wide grin appeared on her face, "I told her I was having dinner with my mom."
Alex laughed and her smirk widened so it caused the underneath of her eyes to crease, "Good excuse."
The apartment became silent once again now that the laughter had stopped, and both women stood in the brightly lit corridor illuminated by a large over-head light and they just looked at each other, examining one another's flawless features and the way their hair effortlessly flowed elegantly over their shoulders, both in similar styles. Alex's eyes moved down Pipers body, attentively scanning over her torso and the way her ivory coloured blouse accentuated her toned and slender frame and the way her black skinny jeans hugged at her legs like second skin, much like the pair Alex herself was wearing. Piper cleared her throat so she was ready to speak and Alex's eyes returned to observe her face.
"Listen Alex...I don't want to dwell on this too much because I know we are both probably sick of hearing about it and just want to leave it behind us." Alex nodded, knowing what Piper was going with her speech, "You know what you did was fucked up, I can see that. I don't want to punish you for it because I know you've been kicking yourself about it and I'm not that cruel to drag everything out.
Alex stood still, listening extremely carefully to whatever Piper had to say.
Piper inhaled and took a miniscule step closer to the inviting brunette, her serious semblance perishing and an expression that Alex had never really seen before took its place. "But you pursued me, and I liked it."
Alex raised a perfectly arched eyebrow and her signature smirk once again appeared on her face at the words that had just come out of Pipers mouth, but she still stayed completely silent.
"You know I've never really thought of myself as a very sexual person but...ever since," Piper paused, not quite sure if she wanted to say what she was thinking. Her eyes dropped to the floor momentarily and they returned to the eagerly awaiting face of the woman in front of her once she had gathered her thoughts. Alex's teasing smirk and the glimmer of anticipation in her eyes gave Piper a surge of confidence and she thought 'You know what, fuck it'. She knew this wasn't the right thing to do. The list of more appropriate and sensible ways that Piper could handle this situation was endless, but sensible wasn't at all what the blonde wanted. Alex Vause was a million and one things, but sensible certainly wasn't one of them. Piper knew what she was doing was stupid and would probably come back around and bite her on the ass, but it was what she wanted do. Alex is what she wants.
The blonde took another step closer and leaned forward so her head was beside Alex's ear, "I want to taste what you taste like."
A/N: Ah I feel so cruel for ending it there! If I carried this chapter on it would literally be about 10k words and that is faaar too long even for me haha, I promise you will get what you want in the next chapter. Hope you enjoyed this one!