A/N:
Pretty much a chapter of fluff, I'm losing motivation a little bit but I promise not to leave you guys hanging. This story probably won't go on for TOO much longer but I may consider a sequel in the future if that's what the people want.
Thanks again for the reviews and follows/favorites! I love hearing that I'm keeping people up late when they have work the next morning... does that make me a bad person?
It was finally Saturday and Piper was exhausted from the week. The emotional toll of thinking your girlfriend was about to tell you she loved you before backing out at the last second would be hard on anyone, but on top of that Piper spent almost all day every day with her. Not that she was complaining about that part, because that seemed to be one of the reasons they've been moving so damn fast with this relationship. It dawned on Piper that maybe Alex wasn't going to say those three words, but every time she thought back to how Alex was acting she felt more certain that she was right.
After work on Friday night Alex was over at Piper's apartment and looking through the fridge after a rather exhausting few hours in bed. She was wearing one of her oversized tee shirts and... that was it. She shook her head and looked behind her shoulder at Piper who lay in bed in the small studio.
"Babe you have to get groceries. Do you even eat when you're not at work?" Piper frowned and tried to remember the last time she went grocery shopping.
"I eat!" She said defensively looking around at the takeout boxes from their Chinese food last night and a couple pizza boxes scattered around the room. "I just don't really cook... and getting groceries sucks without a car."
"Pipes one of the best things about having a girlfriend with a car is that you can actually ask me to borrow it sometimes. Or who knows, maybe I could even go shopping with you." Alex was raising her eyebrows and Piper was still cuddled under the comforter, somehow feeling guilty for not going grocery shopping. "Let's go today, kid. We can cook together."
Piper couldn't contain the huge smile that broke out on her face at the thought of shopping and cooking with Alex. They decided to go to Pike Place again, Alex promising this time there would be no stupid dares. On the short drive downtown they played a game where they guessed who were tourists and who were locals while Alex weaved through traffic with ease.
They decided to make pasta and a salad because according to Alex it's pretty much impossible to fuck up, even for you. Alex bought Piper another bouquet of flowers.
"For the pretty lady." She pulled the bouquet from behind her back even though Piper was standing right next to her when she bought them, making the blonde blush and smile big enough to expose most of her teeth. They shared a chaste kiss and continued brushing pasts tourists hand in hand until they came to one of the pasta stalls. Alex refused to share her opinion on what kind to get, insisting that this was for Piper.
"Babe, I'll like it no matter what. Just pick whatever you want." Piper was overwhelmed with how selfless Alex was. She'd always noticed these selfless actions but for the last couple days it was almost overwhelming how gallant her girlfriend was acting. She picked out the pasta and they continued their hunt for the best cheese and salad ingredients that the local market had to offer.
Alex purchased everything, including the incredibly expensive cheese and huge bag of fresh vegetables for their salad. The brunette refused to let Piper carry anything except her flowers, muscles taut against her tight white V neck as she lugged their groceries around the market.
Eventually they made their way back to Piper's and Alex loaded the food into the fridge before collapsing on the bed. Piper couldn't help herself from throwing herself on top of the brunette, for once gaining the upper hand and tickling her sides.
"Payback is a bitch baby!" She managed through her uncontrollable giggles, making Piper realize that she probably fucked up because with Alex payback was certainly going to be a bitch. After relaxing on the bed for a few minutes Alex got up first, pulling Piper up by her belt loops and leading her to the stove with her hands on her hips.
"Where are your pots?" Alex began looking around in cupboards, finding nothing until the blonde finally spoke up.
"Shit. Umm..." She started looking with Alex even though she knew she didn't own any pots large enough to cook pasta in. Alex realized this and stopped looking, backing up with her eyes now trained on the blonde.
"Pipes do you not have any pots or pans?" Her voice sounded like she was scolding Piper but the smirk on her face gave her away. "Jesus, you're such a college student. Come on let's go back down there."
She grabbed her purse and lead the way to the elevator.
They ended up going to the ridiculously over priced store in the bottom floor of the building.
"Al this stuff is way too expensive, let's just go somewhere else." Piper whined, not wanting to spend that much money on herself and feeling terrible for how much Alex had already spent so far.
"No, you shouldn't buy shitty pots and pans anyways. These will last forever. Do you have a salad bowl?" Piper looked down and shook her head so Alex grabbed a large wooden bowl and went to the counter to pay, putting her hand over Piper's wallet when the blonde tried to pay.
They eventually made their way back upstairs where Alex directed Piper to cut up the lettuce and vegetables for the salad while she cooked the pasta. The brunette frequently made trips to Piper's end of the counter to steal pieces of lettuce or slices of tomatoes, receiving a light smack to the arm every time.
The meal turned out delicious and they both ate way more than they should have, resulting in the two of them laying in bed occasionally groaning over the sound of an episode of Parks and Recreation. Piper wasn't paying attention to the show. She was thinking back to the other day when Alex had maybe almost told her she loved her. Piper knew she loved Alex and she was sure Alex loved her too. The brunette, who always seemed to be so nonchalant about everything, would make a complete ass out of herself to make Piper smile. She would take her out all day and spend obscene amounts of money on stuff Piper didn't even ask for. They spent way more time together than was probably healthy and the sex was indescribable. She looked to her right just in time to see Alex burst out in laughter, shaking the bed slightly with her hysterics. The blonde thought it might have been the most beautiful sight she had ever seen.
"Babe you're doing it again." The brunette as looking at her now, laying on her side to face Piper.
She looked at Alex without speaking for about 5 seconds. The episode had ended and they were sitting in silence, not answering Netfix's question if they were still watching. Alex had always been the bold one in their relationship but she couldn't control herself.
"I love you!" She all but shouted it in Alex's face, unable to hold her tongue any longer. Her eyes widened as she surprised herself by just blurting it out in the woman's face. Alex's smile was immediate, exposing most of her perfect teeth, eyes crinkling. The silence was driving Piper insane. Fuck, she wasn't going to say it the other day. I totally just caught her off guard and she doesn't know what to say. Her chest was tightening in complete panic, wondering if the brunette would ever break the unbearable silence.
"I love you too." It was almost a whisper, the complete opposite of Piper's outburst. It was slow and careful and everything Piper needed to hear. "I love you." She repeated it a little more firmly this time and Piper let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. Piper scooted closer until their foreheads were touching, both of them enjoying the silence for a few moments.
Alex broke the distance between them and kissed Piper over and over, whisperings of I love you between each kiss. Her hands found their way to Piper's cheeks and she deepened the kiss, nibbling on the blonde's lower lip softly. The kissed languidly for minutes or hours, neither knew how long it lasted but they never wanted it to end. Eventually they both sat up, Piper's head on Alex's shoulder while they decided what to do with the rest of their night. Apparently Alex got an idea because she stood up, pulling up her pants by her belt loops and offering a hand to Piper.
"Where are we going?" The blonde questioned, taking Alex's lead as they put their shoes on.
"You'll see." Her smug reply was left hanging in the ear as she walked to the elevator.
Eventually they pulled up in front of a brick building in the SODO area with a large green plus sign on it. Piper wasn't exactly sure what this place was until she saw what it was called. Cannabis City wasn't the most discreet name for a pot shop. Unsurprisingly, the blonde had never been to a pot shop before despite the new legality of marijuana.
The store was clean and organized, not exactly what Piper expected. Alex purchased two of their best selling joints, both flashing their ID's for the cashier before returning to Piper's place. It was just before sunset, so Piper decided to be a little rebellious and use her key to get them into the other apartment building next door called the Nolo. It was only 8 or 9 floors, made out of cool brick instead of pure glass like her building. For some reason the keys worked in both buildings even though the rooftops weren't a shared amenity between the two. The view wasn't quite as extensive, but the top of the space needle was visible and the Great Wheel was closer, it's multicolor frame reflecting beautifully against the water. This rooftop was nice because while it wasn't as high up it made them feel like a part of the city a little more. The bars neighboring the building were closer and they could eavesdrop on the people on the sidewalk with ease. Alex put a joint between her lips and pulled a lighter out of her pocket. She lit the joint and inhaled an impressively large hit of the substance, holding it in for a few seconds before cupping her hand around the back of Piper's head to pull her closer as she exhaled into the blonde's open mouth. Their lips met and they kissed for a moment before Piper exhaled, surprising herself by not coughing. She had smoked weed a few times at parties but usually ended up making a complete ass of herself, so she was thankful to look a little more sophisticated in front of her girlfriend. They repeated this action a few more times and that was all it took for Piper to become sufficiently giggly and elated. Alex took a few more hits to herself before pinching the tip and returning it to the plastic tube it came in. They sat in silence with goofy smiles on their faces, simply taking in the beauty of the Seattle skyline from their perch.
It took about 30 minutes for one of them to speak up and Piper immediately fell into a fit of giggles, causing Alex to laugh with her. Once Piper finally stopped laughing Alex must have missed the sound because she told Piper the excruciatingly long eggplant joke that belonged to Nicky. Piper was laughing until she couldn't breathe not because she understood the joke, but because it felt like Alex was talking for an hour and the words were just going in one ear and out the other. Her face was aching and her abs were burning when she finally calmed down enough and they sat in silence for a few more minutes before returning to Piper's apartment to go to sleep.
Piper woke up to see Alex doing the forgotten dishes from the previous night. She immediately felt painful cramps in her abdomen, signifying that wonderful time of the month. She rolled over and put a pillow over her head with a groan and didn't see when Alex turned to see her and smiled. The brunette continued with her dishes somewhat noisily and eventually Piper sat straight up with a frown on her face, hair a complete mess and loose tank top falling off one shoulder.
"Alex!" It was a mix between a whine and a shout and resulted in the brunette turning the water off and leaning against the counter with her arms crossed.
"Can I help you?" She inquired while drying her hands off with a dish towel, eyebrows raised with a smirk on her face at the disheveled appearance of the blonde.
"Yes by not being so loud!" She almost sounded like a little kid and her own voice pissed her off even more. She fell back on the bed with a loud huff, leaving the brunette a little confused as to where this outburst was coming from.
"Babe someone had to do the dishes." She reasoned, earning another dramatic huff from the horizontal blonde in front of her. Piper knew she was being a little bit ridiculous but she didn't care thanks to the wonderful hormones. Another painful pang to her abdomen caused her to curl up and whine and it seemed like Alex finally understood what was going on.
"Aww, Pipes," She grabbed some Midol and a glass of water and joined Piper on the bed, pulling her head into her lap and detangling her hair with her fingers. "Here, take this."
Piper sat up just enough not to spill water all over herself and laid back down with a sigh.
"Do you want to just order some food and do nothing all day?" They had planned to go walk around downtown, but Piper couldn't even stand the thought of all the people and the heat so she simply nodded face down in Alex's lap. The brunette caressed the back of her head with her left hand while she browsed through her phone on the right hand, trying to think of what she would want on her period.
"What do you want?" Piper thought about it for a few minutes before speaking into Alex's lap.
"Thai food." She said into the fabric of Alex's yoga pants, but it came out so muffled that she knew Alex didn't hear her so she sat up and repeated herself. Alex pulled up one of the higher rated Thai restaurants in the area (there were many since they were so close to the International District) and flipped through the menu with the phone in front of both of them.
They got one order of pad Thai to share, Alex giving in to Piper's pleas for 2 stars instead of 4 for the spiciness, and a large order of red chicken curry. She had to fight pretty hard to detach the blonde from herself but finally got out of her death grip to get the food from the lobby. Piper remained face down on the bed when she heard the door open and the smell of food filled the small apartment. She sat upright and reached her hands out while flexing her fingers which earned her a look from the brunette but she handed her the food anyways. She immediately dove into the curry, slurping loudly and ignoring it when Alex shook her head at the lack of manners.
"Don't judge me." She mumbled through a mouthful of rice and grabbed the Xbox controller to put on a show for them to watch while they ate in bed. They couldn't decide on a show to watch so Piper had the idea to play Call of Duty together. They played Zombies and ended up making the perfect team, Piper learning that Alex was really good at video games despite having a console of her own. Piper snapped at Alex a couple times for not reviving her in time and the brunette just chuckled, understanding that her girlfriend wasn't at her best today, successfully holding back her retort that you're the one that died in the first place.
Eventually Piper got mad enough to shut off the Xbox mid game and Alex bit back her smirk and held in the protests as Piper put on a chick flick that she knew would end in tears.
They fell asleep together, not caring that it was Sunday and Alex wouldn't be able to go home before work tomorrow, still giddy enough to whisper repeated I love yous as they huddled under the covers.