AN: another update! Found this one on my laptop, tweaked it around a bit to match the timeline. It's third degree fluff, so watch out for toothache.
It was nearing the beginning of May, and Alex and Piper had completely gotten the hang of working their relationship around being away from each other. For Alex, it was still just as hard to watch Piper go every time she went back to college, she didn't expect that to ever get easier, but the euphoria of the "hello" every time she saw her again made every goodbye worth it.
For Piper, times were starting to get stressful. Exams were coming up soon, and all she could seem to think about was the seemingly endless summer she had with Alex once they'd finished. As it was, she found herself walking through the town toward the bus station with the weather mild enough to go without a jacket, smiling at the blooming spring around her and the signs of summer to come, then smiling wider as she thought about the tall, dark girlfriend she was meeting once she got there.
She needed this weekend with Alex more than she'd ever needed anything. She was stressed, and all of her schoolwork just seemed to be piling up on top of her. This was her last bit of fun before she had to crack down on her studies, and just Alex's presence made her feel like everything was going to be okay.
Alex laid back on the bus, legs up on the seat in front of her, smiling at the small "P" with a heart around it that Piper had sketched on the back of her chucks not long after they first got together. The shoes were ruined, holes and scuffs everywhere, but Alex wouldn't stop wearing them until they physically fell off her feet. She closed her eyes as she felt the pleasantly warm sun on her face, finding her mind drifting off to summer and all the things she and Piper could do. She loved the heat, craved it, and spending months with Piper in short shorts and bikinis just made it that much better. She grinned slyly to herself at that thought, imagining Piper splayed out on a beach, wet hair and skin glistening, when the bus came to a halt and interrupted her fantasies.
She stretched as she got up, collecting her bags from the top shelf and slinging one over her shoulder as she scanned the station for Piper, feeling a warmth hotter than the sun spread over her when she spied her blonde hair, bouncing as she waved to get her attention. Grinning widely, she dropped her bag as Piper ran to her, picking the blonde up and spinning her around. She kissed her soundly, smile against smile, and nuzzled their noses together as Piper slid back down to stand in front of her,
"Hey," she whispered, and Alex reached up to tuck her hair behind her ear,
"Hey," she answered, and Piper giggled, pulling her in for another kiss before picking up one of Alex's bags from the floor. Alex smiled and picked up her other one, and hand in hand they made their way back across town as Piper caught her up on everything she had missed in the month since she last saw her.
"… and all of classes are just coming to a head, you know? There's just so much stuff I need to remember, I don't know how they expect me to fit it all in my brain, it's not big enough,"
Alex snorted, and Piper continued,
"Jess has really been getting on my last nerve too. She's great but during study periods she's awful to deal with, she just talks all the time and she doesn't leave any room for reading or writing or learning in any way-"
"Woah," Alex laughed, squeezing the hand she was holding, "you're gunna blow up if you keep that pace, Pipes,"
Piper huffed and smiled shyly,
"I'm sorry, I'm just so fucking stressed right now," she looked sideways at Alex, "I'm really glad you're here though,"
Alex smiled back at her, still feeling the same thrill go through her at those words as she did right at the beginning. She didn't answer, just lightly bumped her shoulder against Piper's as they walked, catching her eye and relishing in the embarrassed giggle she got out of the blonde. Just as Alex opened her mouth to ask what their plan for the weekend was, a voice caused both of them to turn around,
"Alex! Alex fucking Vause," a woman's voice called, and Alex frowned as she turned, thinking she must have been mistaken, she didn't know a single person in Northampton.
As she turned however, she was greeted by a tidy, long mane of deep red hair and glistening green eyes that immediately made her feel 16 years old again,
"Ash?" She said incredulously, "Oh my fucking god, what are you doing here!?"
She dropped Piper's hand momentarily to embrace the redhead, and Piper watched the interaction curiously,
"I go to school here! Can you believe it huh? Got myself a scholarship, to Smith of all places. I'm going to end up with a degree and a tonne of pussy under my belt,"
Alex chuckled at her, and turned to Piper,
"Ash, this is Piper, my girlfriend,"
Alex put her arm around Piper, gently pulling her towards her side proudly. Piper smiled at the pride in her voice, blushing under the intense gaze that Ash fixed her with. She smiled at Piper and stuck her hand out to shake it, which Piper took, smiling a hello,
"Girlfriend, huh?" Ash grinned mischievously, "Who'd have thought Alex Vause would end up being tied down,"
Her eyes scanned up and down Piper's body, making her feel uncomfortable again,
"She's not the type you usually go for, Al,"
Piper frowned and looked up at Alex, feeling her temper flare through her at how this girl was talking about her. She felt Alex stiffen at her side, but before she could open her mouth to say something to the redhead, Alex chuckled nervously,
"Yeah well, that was a long time ago when we hung out Ash, I've done a lot of growing up, and I've never been happier,"
Piper looked back at Ash, reigning in her temper when Alex took the stand against her. Ash stood her lip out thoughtfully and nodded, changing the subject,
"So anyway, are you guys going to the boys party across town? Frat parties always seem to be better than the ones we throw, don't you think Piper?"
Piper nodded,
"I wouldn't know, we don't usually spend much time at the actual party, mainly upstairs," she said bluntly, and Alex laughed awkwardly next to her as Ash's eyes flashed,
"She's feisty, I like her," she said to Alex, but there was an edge in her voice that Piper picked up on, making her raise her chin indignantly,
"That party is where we were headed tonight though, funnily enough,"
Alex looked down at her, eyes raised in surprise. She hadn't mentioned anything about a party. She looked to Ash, smiling,
"Great, I guess I'll see you both tonight then," she drawled, a strange emphasis on the word both that Piper didn't like at all,
"Yeah totally, shoot me a message when you're around we'll meet up or something,"
Ash smiled brightly at her, and Piper rolled her eyes as the redhead walked away. She looked up at Alex and raised a brow, waiting for her to explain,
"What?" Alex asked as she looked down at her,
"I was just waiting for you to put your tongue back in your mouth," Piper said, only half joking, and Alex scoffed,
"Shut up, asshole," she lightly shoved Piper and then wrapped her arms around her waist, kissing her neck. Piper giggled and let it go for the moment, but kept a reminder to bring it up again once they were home.
Later that day, Piper found herself straddling Alex in nothing but her skin, sweaty from their roll around. She looked down at Alex's flushed face, smiling as they linked their hands,
"We should probably start getting ready soon," she said softly, and Alex shook her head, tightening her hands on Piper's,
"You can't surprise me with an empty dorm room and expect me to want to leave it now,"
Piper giggled, placing their entwined hands on her thighs,
"Not even for Ash," she teased, stretching out her name in a high pitched voice,
Alex smiled wide, eyes flashing with mirth,
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Piper shrugged and stuck her lip out thoughtfully,
"Just seemed friendly with her is all,"
Alex watched as Piper looked down at their hands, and she smiled softly. Piper was jealous.
"She's just a girl I knew," Alex started, "Do you wanna know how I know her or are you just going to sit on me and mope, huh?"
Piper caught her eye and blushed, she thought she'd been pretty sneaky about her jealousy, but of course Alex saw straight through her,
"I wanna know," she said, and Alex rubbed her thumbs up and down Piper's on each of her hands,
"Remember that summer when I was 16 when I went away for almost the whole break to visit my aunt?"
Piper nodded, remembering back to before they were dating, when Alex had no idea of the insanely bright torch Piper was carrying for her. She had missed her even then, Alex couldn't afford a cell and she only got the chance to make a few calls on the landline, and it was a long and boring summer for Piper,
"That's where I met Ashley, she lived on my aunts street, she's a year older than us, but she was cool. I met her when I was sitting out back hiding from my mom, she gave me a cig and for the rest of the summer we hung out nearly every day. Smoking, drinking, just being stupid, y'know?"
Piper watched Alex's face as she spoke. She sounded so melancholic, like she really missed the time she spent with Ash, and it made Piper's chest hurt,
"Did you sleep with her?" She asked quietly, already half knowing the answer. She couldn't be mad, it was before she and Alex were anything more than friends, but she hadn't met anyone who Alex had slept with before and she wasn't sure how to feel about it.
Alex searched her eyes to see what emotions were behind them, and decided that honesty was the best way to play it,
"Yeah," she said quietly, "she was the first person I ever had sex with,"
Piper's breath caught in her throat as she realised this girl wasn't just another fuck, she meant something. She tried to move her hands away, but Alex held onto them tightly, never taking her eyes away from Piper's face. As the blue orbs rose to meet her eyes, Piper choked back the sick feeling in her stomach to ask the question that was burning her insides up,
"Did you love her?"
"No," Alex said instantly, then she looked down to Piper's hands, "I thought I did, at the time."
Piper watched Alex's face as she focused on their hands, waiting for her to continue,
"Ash is the only person other than my mom that I'd ever had any kind of feelings for, after that summer I'd based everything I knew about relationships and love on what I felt for her… until I met you,"
Piper's heart stopped as Alex's big, affectionate eyes fixed on her own,
"And then I realised that what I felt for Ash was nothing but a crush, a short lived one at that. You hit me like a bus, even then I knew I liked you, but I didn't think you were interested in me, or girls at all for that matter,"
She smirked, and Piper smiled shyly back,
"So I looked for that connection elsewhere, but after you told me you liked me that first time, I knew that what I felt for Ash wasn't even remotely close to love. She was like a drop of rain and you were the entire storm, I couldn't have helped falling for you even if I wanted to,"
Piper swallowed against the lump in her throat, tears swimming in her eyes. That was the most romantic thing anybody had ever said to her, and her heart felt like it swelled out of her chest at the honesty in Alex's voice,
"Im sorry, I didn't mean to get jealous. I just heard the way she was speaking to you, as if she knew you better, and when she mentioned me not being your type it just got to me, you know? I already get insecure enough about not being enough for you without some hot redhead reiterating it to me,"
Alex pulled her down to her by her hands, feeling Piper's warm naked body press against her own. She rested a hand on her waist and one on her jawline as she looked up into the big blue eyes she was so in love with,
"You wanna know what my type is?" She asked Piper with a smirk, and the blonde's eyes widened,
"Oh god-" she started, and Alex cut her off,
"About 5"8, blonde hair, blue eyes. Tanned skin, cutest little laugh. Opinionated, does nothing but talk about books, has one hell of a temper. She's feisty but sensitive, and always quick to jump to the worst conclusion in any situation,"
Piper smiled at Alex's description of her,
"Al…" she started softly, but Alex interrupted again,
"Yeah I know, Janey Prescott from high school, what a dream she was,"
Piper's jaw dropped and she slapped Alex's arm playfully while Alex laughed loudly at her pout. Grinning, she flipped them over so Piper was below her, kissing her jaw and tickling her ribs until Piper giggled below her. She let go, moving her hand to rest on her stomach as she propped herself over Alex,
"I love you," she smiled, and Piper grinned up at her,
"I love you too," she whispered, pulling Alex to her and rolling over again, sealing their discussion with a kiss.
AN: There you go guys! It's a shorter one than I usually go for, but it's been sitting around waiting to be posted for a while and I figured it would lead on nicely to the next chapter, which is the post popular request of a jealous Piper! I've also got other suggestions you guys made on the list like a camping trip/double date with Nicky and my take of Alex making Piper squirt for the first time, which sounds pretty fun to write. Let me know if you have any more suggestions, and if you ever wanna talk don't forget to follow me on Tumblr stopthatlaura cos I'm on there 24/7.
Also while it's already an essay, just wanted to give an answer to the anon that posted a review about my last chapter being kinda bad. I appreciate the criticism, I'll try and do better if you didn't like it, all I have to say in defence is that while I agree in the show Piper is the one with a temper, in that particular chapter the suggestion I was writing was one of a scared Alex, and I felt as though I couldn't really portray that fear if Piper was totally owning her own against Jared. I felt like I didn't totally write her as a 'whining damsel' I think it was as you put it, she tried to fight back, and it was her supporting Alex and being the strong one afterwards, but nonetheless I totally see your point, and thank you for being honest with me and I'll try to do better in the future!
Anyway I've babbled enough, let me know what you thought!
Laura xo