Notes:
Props to Kendai for putting an idea in my head and getting this chapter added to the story.

(For the record, the first part is all my fault. Please don't kill me.)

Moment 037: Out of the Mouths of Babes

Okay, so maybe Nat had a point about the printer way back when. Piper glowers at the contraption in question in the pale light of an early spring morning, and wishes for what's already the Nth time today that Blue was here, if only because her best friend has that certain kind of logical mindset where even the most complex machinery just makes sense to her after a simple glance.

Under Blue's knowledgeable eye, the printer would probably be diagnosed and fixed in an hour or less. Under Piper's... well, it's going to take a little longer than that in spite of the experience that she has, but at least disassembling it is fairly old hat at this point. She knows enough to keep both tools and rags at the ready and to place the things she removes in the order that they need to go back in, but getting to the part that she thinks is causing the issue is still an absolute pain in her neck and enough to keep her muttering to herself under her breath.

"Miss Piper?"

That greeting is enough to tell her that the voice definitely doesn't belong to a Diamond City resident, and she pokes her head out from behind the printer to see Preston Garvey standing just beyond the steps; his ever-present laser rifle slung over one shoulder, and his hat in his hands because he's sweet and old-fashioned like that.

"Hey, Preston." Piper grabs a nearby rag and wipes her hands as she gets to her feet; sending the man a smile. "What can I do for you?"

He climbs the steps but doesn't say anything so Piper studies him instead; notes the tension at the corner of his eyes and mouth, the stiff set to his shoulders, the way his fingers keep playing with the brim of his hat, and the faint tinge of red to his eyes as if he's been crying.

Piper's heart stutters in her chest, because she has only ever seen this man cry for one reason. "Preston?"

He comes to a stop in front of her and removes a pistol from his belt; a familiar one with so many incredibly well-done modifications that Piper knows like it the back of her own hand.

No.

"I'm sorry." Preston's voice is low and soft in spite of the fact that there is no one else to hear him, and he offers the pistol to her as if it was the sole remains of the most important person in her life. "We found her two days ago, I-" He swallows. "It was well too late by then."

"No." Piper shakes her head, and her entire world narrows to that one pistol even as she refuses to take it; stepping back and wrapping her arms around herself. "No. That can't-"

"Piper-"

"No." She covers her ears and keeps backing up until she hits the wall; refusing to believe that Blue is anything but fine because she always is. "Just- no."

"Piper." There are hands grabbing her arms now; shaking her head and continuing to not listen while Preston's voice pitches higher and higher and the darkness closes in. "Piper!"

"Piper!"

Her eyes snap open to see Nat's face above her own, and she blinks rapidly; head twisting this way and that as the outside of Publick Occurrences becomes the inside of her bedroom and bright day fades in favor of dark night, with the blanket tangled around her body and her sister essentially straddling her in order to pin her to the mattress. "Wh-" Her heart is pounding so hard against the inside of her ribs that spots are dancing at the edges of her vision. "Preston?"

"No..." Very slowly, and definitely wary. "I'm Nat."

Piper slumps back into the single pillow with a hard exhale, and closes her eyes. "Obviously," she sighs. "But Preston. Did he leave?"

"The Minuteman?" Nat sounds confused, to say the least, but the iron hold she has on Piper's upper arms relaxes. "Whaddya mean 'did he leave'? When was he here?"

A dream then, and the relief is enough to make her eyes burn. "Jesus." She wrests one arm free and feels Nat sit up while she scrubs a hand over her face. "Sorry I woke you."

"Woke me?" The weight atop her shifts, and resettles at her side this time. "Christ, sis; I thought something was attacking you." Nat falls silent while Piper grunts, and then: "Nightmare? About your lady friend?"

Hardly any point in lying. "Yeah." Piper breathes and feels her heart slowly settle back down. "Preston came by. And told me that she was dead."

More silence while Nat – she guesses – considers that. "So when are you gonna tell her you're ass over teakettle for her?"

"Language," Piper mutters, and cracks an eye open. "And 'ass over teakettle'? Really?"

Nat's eyeroll is practically audible. "Fine. In luuuuv, then."

"Brat." Definitely a teenager, but the familiar banter is doing wonders for her state of mind, so Piper doesn't pinch her hard. "It's not that easy, kiddo."

"Why the fuck not?"

"Language, Natalie."

"Phhbt." Nat is clearly not impressed. "This from the woman who swears more than a raider in a whor-"

"Natalie Wright."

"Urgh." Her sister's weight flops backwards across her midsection. "Fine; I'm sorry. But why is it hard? It was easy enough for fu- friggin' Sheng Kowalski to just up and plant a kiss on me."

"Uh huh." Piper ruffles her hair. "And how receptive were you to that, sister dear?" She waits for Nat to grumble. "Exactly. So pardon me for not wanting to walk in Sheng's footsteps."

"I don't like him that way," is the thoroughly offended response; Nat batting her hand away and shifting until her head is pillowed on Piper's shoulder. "And I'm pretty sure you've already kissed her."

Oh, Christ. "Not talking about that with you, sis."

"That means yes," Nat deduces, and Piper groans. "It also means that she kissed back."

Perceptive little shit. Piper wraps an arm around her anyway. "She kissed me, actually."

There's several seconds of thoughtful silence before Nat sighs. "Then I really don't understand why you don't fess up. She likes you, Piper. Duh."

"Yeah, I know she does." She rubs her sister's back slowly, and stares up into the darkness as she thinks about the last time they laid like this and how much smaller that back was at the time. "But I don't think she loves me. Not like that. Not yet, at least."

Nat groans, and thumps her in the stomach. "Piper. You're making the whole thing way too damn complicated! What's the difference?"

Well, there's a question. "Have you ever liked anyone, Nat?"

"Uh, yes?" Lord, the sass is genetic. "That's how I know. It isn't that big of a deal, sis."

"No." Piper chuckles softly. "Liking isn't 'that big of a deal'. Loving, however, is. It's... like standing in sunlight. It's knowing another person's footsteps and scent and being able to feel them smile at you even when your back is turned. It's a... a pain, right here." She takes Nat's hand, and uses it to tap her own chest. "But a good kind. And here, it's-" She moves their joined hands to her stomach. "- hm. Remember the swings?"

"Yeah." Nat nods against her shoulder. "Tingles?"

"Mmhm." She scratches the space between her sister's shoulders. "All the time, when they're around. When they're not and you're worried, it's like something is winding your insides around a rail."

"Ew."

"The last one? Yeah, pretty much."

It takes a few seconds of peaceful silence before Nat speaks again. "So you love her."

"Yes."

"Hm." More silence. "So what are you gonna do if you not telling her ends up with her meeting someone else?"

That, Piper decides, is a damned good question. "I don't know, Nat." She sighs, and closes her eyes. "I'm hoping it won't, because while I do see your point, I'd also like to be at least a little more sure before I risk scaring her off by pushing too far, too fast."

"If she really did die right now, what would you regret the most?"

Ouch. Piper swallows against a suddenly tight throat and feels Nat nestle further into her side in silent, almost-apology; her point very much made.

Soon, then, rather than 'maybe eventually'. She still isn't sure that outright telling Blue how she feels is wise; at least not yet. Sad experience dictates caution, but she could... can at least try to push, just a little. Small things; tiny nudges towards something deeper, to see what the response is.

Baby steps. But forward ones.

"Piper?" The familiar voice pulls her from her thoughts. "What's the deal with sex?"

Oh, dear God.