Piper's night had been restless to say the least, she'd woke intermittently throughout, her ears straining for the familiar noise of Alex's breathing. Piper found it comforting to watch Alex sleep, to see the rise and fall of her chest- if she looked hard enough she was convinced that she could see Alex's heartbeat rocking her chest rhythmically. Piper propped herself up in the bed and gently swept Alex's hair from across her face, tucking it behind her ear. She planted a soft kiss on Alex's forehead- her skin was warm and the sharp smell of alcohol still lingered on it, Piper smiled as Alex squirmed at the contact and pushed her head further into her pillow.
….
"Morning Vause, how's the head?"
Alex groaned in response as she sat gingerly sat down next to Nicky on the cool grass. She had left Piper sleeping peacefully and had slipped out to get some fresh air- her stomach was churning slightly and her insides burned. Her memories of the night before were patchy, she tried to think back to how she'd gotten into bed but the effort hurt her brain.
"That good, huh?" Nicky laughed.
Alex didn't often get drunk, ever since the Sylvie disaster she was always sure to balance her alcoholic drinks with water to maintain a reasonable level of sobriety. Her relationship with alcohol often left Alex riddled with regrets- something that made her feel even more uneasy about not knowing the events of the previous night.
"Did I do anything stupid?" Alex asked cautiously, her voice was hoarse and she swallowed harshly as she waited nervously for Nicky's response.
"You really want to know?" Nicky asked, she would be lying if she said that she wasn't enjoying keeping Alex in the dark about what she'd done under the influence of vodka.
Alex nodded slowly. When she'd woken up that morning next to Piper, she initially thought there was no way she could have messed it up- otherwise Piper wouldn't be in the same bed as her. But then Alex thought about the type of person Piper was, she would never leave someone alone when they were drunk…she was too nurturing.
"Well you cried…" Nicky said, determined to make the situation sound worse than it actually was. She needed some sort of soft pay back for Alex going all UFC on her.
"I cried?"
"Yup… you were flirting with Chapman- you got some pretty good chat up lines to be fair!" Nicky laughed, she was enjoying watching Alex's brain whir with the possibilities of what she had done or said the night before.
"That doesn't sound that bad, I'm allowed to flirt with her- she's my girlfriend."
"You asked her if she was single… and then cried when she said that she wasn't."
….
Alex placed the handful of flowers she had collected from around the lake into a tall glass that she had found in one of the kitchen cupboards. She carried the makeshift vase carefully into the bedroom and set it on Piper's bedside table. The blonde was still in a deep sleep and didn't even stir when Alex stroked her cheek softly and kissed her on the head. She scribbled out a note to Piper and shut the door gently behind her.
All morning the topic of conversation had been the "Project X" style party that Nicky wanted to throw that evening. Although most of the team had brought along friends Nicky hadn't been able to invite everyone she knew due to the limited number of beds in the house- the party invites, on the other hand, had been extended to everyone Nicky had ever met- well, that's what it felt like anyway. As the rest of the girls were either still sleeping or lounging by the lake Nicky and Alex made their way into a nearby town to purchase supplies for the night.
The morning was fresh and bright, the kind that makes you excited for a day of inevitable good weather. Nicky directed Alex towards a small, quaint town- it couldn't have been home to more than a couple hundred people. When they got out of the car at a cluster of shops, the mountains and tall trees around them made it feel like they were inside of a dome. Alex didn't like the feeling much, it made her feel trapped.
Alex pushed the shopping cart around the air conditioned store as Nicky ran ahead like an excited child- grabbing anything in sight that stated it contained alcohol. The girls were debating whether orange or pineapple juice would be best for a punch mixer when a short girl interrupted them- asking if Alex could hand her some apple juice from the top shelf. Alex obliged and handed the girl the carton, as she turned around to carry on the debate the stranger did a double take and placed her hand on Nicky's arm.
"Nicky?"
"Oh my god, Jodie?!" Nicky dropped the two cartons in her hand into the cart and embraced the short girl into a strong hug.
"It's been a while, huh?" The short girl beamed. She was very pretty and had wavy blonde hair that fell to her waist. Her skin was tanned and she smelt like the expensive perfumes you can buy at airports.
"At least three years I guess… What are you doing here? I mean… do your family still use the lakehouse? Well, I mean I guess there do if you're here… I can't believe I'm seeing you," Nicky laughed.
The girl smiled back at Nicky as though not believing she was really there.
"Shit, Jodie this is Alex Vause. Alex this is Jodie, she's an old friend of mine," Nicky stammered. "Her family own one of the lakehouses a little further down from ours…"
"It's nice to meet you," Jodie said politely, interrupting Nicky's rambling. "And it's nice to see you Nicky, maybe we can catch up whilst you're around."
"We're having a party tonight" Nicky said excitedly as she pointed to the alcohol filled shopping cart. "You should come! There's so many people I want you to meet… it's been so long."
"Oh I don't know I wouldn't want to impose… plus I have a house full myself."
"The more the merrier," Nicky chirped. "Bring them all along."
….
Piper smiled and looked out across the lake, digging her toes further into the warm sand. The girls had been outside for the majority of the morning, allowing the bright sun to absorb the alcohol from their bodies. They lazed around the edge of the lake like sleeping seals, only lifting their heads when someone brought out water or food. Piper had been on the receiving end of a lot of questions about the night before, the girls were keen to hear how she'd finally managed to get Alex to follow her to bed. They cried with laughter as she explained the fact that it involved a bottle of vodka and the promise of lacy underwear. Lorna had sat quietly through the exchange of stories, waiting for them change targets to her- which Boo took great pleasure in doing when she went into detail about what it was that Lorna was trying to do to Nicky on the grass that night. Piper howled with laughter as her friend's cheeks grew as red as her lipstick under her dark sunglasses.
The group's laughter was interrupted by a squealing Poussey running down the grass slope towards the sand.
"Run for your lives, there's a couple of gays on the loose… and they have weapons!"
Piper jumped up to see Alex and Nicky sprinting across the grass with two huge water pistols in their hands. The group dispersed as they screamed and laughed, trying to get away from the spray of the cold water. Piper looked straight into Nicky's eyes and ducked just in time causing a stream of water to hit Boo square in the face. Piper struggled to keep her legs moving as her body became convulsed with laughter, she scrambled away from the water massacre and attempted to run away from the lake and into the shelter of the tall trees. She squealed and arched her back as a stream of cold water hit the exposed skin between the back of her bikini and the top of her shorts. Assuming it was Nicky, she carried on running along the edge of the trees before her pursuer grabbed her wrist and pulled her into the tree line. Panting heavily Piper allowed herself to be caught and grinned as she turned around to see her girlfriend.
Alex smiled back at Piper as they stood in blissful silence for a few moments, the only noise between them their heavy breathing and the backdrop of screams and squeals in the distance.
"Good Morning", Alex smiled as she looked down at her girlfriend, her voice was lined with more than happiness as she stood with her face no more than a few inches away from Piper's. They were so close that Piper could feel Alex's words on her own lips, her warm breath tickling Piper's skin. Alex looked down at the blonde and noticed that brown freckles had started to appear across the bridge of her nose, spreading along to her cheekbones- Alex also noticed how Piper's skin was already turning golden brown, something that was accentuated further by the small, white bikini top she was wearing. The bikini was nothing more than a thin layer of lace that only just covered Piper's small breasts, it wasn't doing a great job at hiding the arousal at the proximity of her girlfriend as her erect nipples could easily be seen beneath the fabric. Piper's exposed stomach was still rising and falling heavily, but Alex wasn't convinced that it was because of the running- the bottom of her toned stomach was hidden by a pair of high-waisted denim shorts which helped to further emphasise the enticing shape of Piper's body.
The blonde looked at Alex expectantly as she allowed her to finish the lengthy observation of her body. Alex averted her eyes back to Piper's which were shining brightly in anticipation. Something about the moment was tense, but in an exciting, expectant way. They hadn't actually touched each other yet, although Piper's arm felt like it burned where Alex's touch had lingered just a few moments before. Alex couldn't contain herself any longer, she placed the pistol against a nearby tree and moved towards Piper- closer now until the blonde's back met the thick trunk of a tall tree. Piper gasped as her girlfriend gave into temptation and lightly touched the skin of her waist. Alex placed one hand in Piper's hair and used her thumb to draw a soft trail between Piper's freckles, she kept her other hand on Piper's waist- her eyes never leaving Piper's.
"Al…kiss me? Please."
The question came out breathy and barely audible, almost desperate. Piper could have sworn she saw a smirk line Alex's lips before they met her own. Alex kept the kiss slow and meaningful, their warm breath mixed together as Piper brought one hand up Alex's face. Alex felt almost dizzy with desire and she softly massaged Piper's lips with her own. She moved her hand slightly higher so that instead of resting on Piper's waist it was now on the top of her ribcage- just high enough for her to be able to feel the material of Piper's bikini. Piper bucked her hips as Alex continued to expertly kiss her, when she was unable to hold off any longer Piper lifted Alex's shirt and ran her hands across the toned stomach that lay underneath, her fingers gently tracing the lines of Alex's abs. Alex felt as though every nerve ending in her body was standing to attention as Piper's fingers sent shockwaves of electricity through her veins. Alex's hands travelled to the top of Piper's shorts where she swiftly undid the top button allowing her access to the lower section of Piper's stomach. Alex groaned as she felt the slick, soft material of Piper's bikini pants, she used the tip of her tongue to lick Piper's bottom lip before entering her tongue into her girlfriend's mouth and continuing to kiss her passionately.
Piper was so concentrated on Alex's hand that she was barely paying attention to the kiss, making it even more messy and frantic as she clung to Alex's body desperate for the friction to increase. She moved her hands down from Alex's stomach, expertly slipping them under the waistband of her shorts and underwear. Alex's mouth opened wide into the kiss at the shock of the unexpected move. They stayed like that for a while, mouths open- both panting heavily as the other rubbed and stroked them in the place where they needed it most. Alex manoeuvred Piper's body with her knee so that her legs were splayed wider apart, they were both getting closer to the edge- their surroundings a distant memory as their bodies spasmed in unison- they swallowed each other's moans as pleasure racked their body.
Alex moved her hand from Piper's skin and rested it beside the blonde's head on the tree trunk as she attempted to regain her balance. Their breathing eventually slowed down and Alex held Piper's face with her hand- taking in the beauty of the person in front of her. Piper smiled up at Alex and they kissed softly, a kiss that summed up what they both wanted to say even though neither could find the words.
….
"I can't believe you beat me…" Nicky whispered as she lay next to Alex on the grass, watching the rest of the girls frolic in the lake.
"Beat you at what?" Alex asked. Her eyes continued to follow Piper as she walked in the shallows of the lake, her white bikini was stuck to her skin sexily, her blonde hair dripping down her back. Alex's stomach swooned as she watched Piper walk further out into the lake and dive expertly underneath the water, resurfacing a few seconds later and flipping her wet hair back.
Nicky smirked as she watched Alex, the dark haired girl's eyes were barely blinking as she drank in every detail from the scene in front of her.
"I mean…" Nicky continued as she nudged Alex to get her attention. "You beat me… you had sex outside first."
Alex blushed slightly; "How do you know we had sex?"
"Didn't you?"
Alex remained silent.
"Well then," Nicky smirked.
….
It was one of those days that you never want to end, those days where you get a slight sinking feeling in your stomach when you can tell the light is fading and the air is cooling. The girls had slowly started to disperse into the house to begin getting ready for the night ahead, Alex had assisted Nicky in setting up for the evening. Light bulbs hung on string that had been throw across branches on the trees, ice bins lay scattered across the grass containing beer whilst a huge keg of punch had been placed in the kitchen- lovingly made by Nicky herself. Trish had managed to wire her speakers up so the music was louder than the previous night- it felt like spring break.
By the time Alex made it back to the room to start getting ready the first guests had arrived and the beginning of the party could be heard. Piper was sat on the floor, curling her hair in a small mirror when Alex entered.
"Babe", she whined, as she spun around. "I wanted to surprise you."
"I'll pretend I didn't see you," Alex smirked as she made her way over to her girlfriend and gave her a soft kiss on the cheek. "You look gorgeous… obviously."
"I'm not even dressed yet", Piper laughed as she rolled her eyes.
"You don't need to be dressed to be gorgeous," Alex replied as she flopped backwards onto the bed. Despite her excitement for the evening ahead she couldn't help the weariness creeping over her- it didn't help that the bed was so damn comfy, she must have been too drunk to truly appreciate it the night before.
Piper looked across at her girlfriend lay on the bed and placed her curling iron safely on top of the protective mat on the floor. She climbed up onto the bed and positioned her body alongside Alex's. Piper's hair was still warm from the curling iron and Alex breathed in the familiar smell of her strawberry shampoo, humming contently as Piper wrapped her arms around her stomach.
"I missed you today," Piper whispered.
"You saw me today," Alex laughed. "Well, you more than saw me today."
Piper blushed. "I know, I know. I just wish we'd gotten to spend more time together that's all."
Piper went to get up off the bed when Alex reached out for her hand. "Babe? We'll spend some proper time together over the next few days, OK? I promise."
Piper's heart melted slightly as Alex held out her little finger and smiled back at her girlfriend.
"I'd like that" Piper replied as she hooked her finger around Alex's to seal the promise.
….
Alex had to fight every instinct in her body to stop herself from forgetting about the party and staying locked up in their room when Piper had come out of the bathroom asking Alex to zip up her shirt. She looked incredible. She always managed to look incredible. Alex's hands fumbled slightly as she zipped the shirt, hiding the back of Piper's black lace bra.
"If you're lucky maybe you'll get to undo it again later" Piper teased.
"God I hope so."
….
The party was already in full swing by the time Alex and Piper left their room hand in hand. They stayed close to each other as they worked their way through the dense crowd. The amount of people in the house must have tripled in the time that it had taken Alex to get ready- Nicky didn't seem to mind though, she greeted each one as though they were a lifelong friend. Alex gripped tightly onto Piper's hand as she pushed her way through the kitchen to the keg where Nicky had stored the punch. She poured out two cups and handed one to Piper who took a sip immediately, letting the familiar taste of the strong alcohol slide down her throat. It was almost identical to the punch that she had drank on the night that her and Alex had first slept together, it made her feel lightheaded with nostalgia. Alex winked at Piper knowingly before grimacing as she swallowed a large gulp of the liquid.
The rest of the team were outside playing drinking games in a circle. Alex and Piper joined in, laughing collectively as Nicky and Lorna were repeatedly caught out during a game of never have I ever. Nicky caught onto the couple's amusement and was quick to shame them with 'never have I ever had sex outside' quickly followed by 'never have I ever had sex during a water fight'. The group hollered and cheered as Piper and Alex proudly knocked their cups together and tipped the contents into their mouths.
….
Alex poured more of the strong punch into her cup, ignoring the constant pushing on her back as people surged through the kitchen to the patio doors. She was in some sort of happy delirium, it wasn't the alcohol- she'd been sure to keep her drinking to a minimum to avoid any more tears-it was more than that. Every time she looked at Piper, or thought of Piper or… even smelt Piper her body was rocked with a sort of happy ache. It was impossible to ignore, sometimes the feeling was so strong that Alex wanted to force tears out of her eyes just to feel some sort of release from the strong emotion. It was confusing- she'd never felt anything like it before, it was as though the feelings were only getting more intense and Alex didn't know what was needed to relieve them.
"Vause… there you are!" Nicky placed a hand on Alex's shoulder and spun her around, dragging her away from any thoughts of Piper. "Look, I didn't know, I swear… I mean, I should have asked… shit."
"Nick, calm down! What the fuck are you talking about?"
"Sylvie, she's here."
….
Piper didn't know who the girl was at first. The blonde had been reaching into an ice bin, her hand scraping through the cold to try and find a beer when she'd heard someone laughing.
"Need a hand?"
She snapped upright to see a tall brunette grinning at her. The girl had a strange aura about her, she seemed powerful- almost bordering on intimidating. She smirked at Piper as she reached down into the bin and pulled out a cool bottle of beer.
"Thanks," Piper smiled back. "I don't think Nicky took into account us shorter people when she filled these bins." She accepted the beer from the stranger and expertly opened it on the edge of the bin. The girl raised her eyebrow at Piper seductively as she watched her take a long sip of the cold beer. Several stray water droplets fell from the bottom of the bottle and trickled down Piper's hand and she lifted the beer higher to allow for more beer to escape the small opening.
"Wow," the stranger laughed as she watched Piper panting lightly as the bottle left her mouth.
"Dancing is thirsty work," Piper laughed.
"Well, you made it look effortless."
Piper would be lying if she said that she couldn't tell the girl was checking her out. She seemed nice, but the way that her eyes greedily lapped their way over Piper's body made her feel both vulnerable and uncomfortable. She muttered an awkward thanks at the compliment and was about to make a lame excuse as to why she needed to disappear when she felt a familiar strong arm wrap its way around her shoulders.
"Hey babe." Alex's voice was all that was needed to put Piper at ease, she smiled and wrapped her arm around Alex's waist.
"Shit, I've been speaking to the famous Alex Vause's girlfriend all this time without realising?!"
Piper could feel Alex tense next to her, her ribcage lifted slightly as she held her breath to make the introduction between the blonde and the brunette.
"Piper, this is Sylvie… Sylvie, this is my girlfriend Piper."
Piper's skin prickled slightly as she realised who she'd been talking to, she tried hard to ensure that her facial expression didn't give away the dread that had just taken over her body. Sylvie smiled at the both of them, her eyes darting to Alex's waist where Piper's hand was carelessly placed. Piper knew exactly where Sylvie was looking and was sure to pull Alex a little closer to her own body- a subtle heat was rising in her chest as she watched Sylvie shamelessly checking out her girlfriend.
"What a small world," Alex chuckled, unable to stand the awkward silence any longer.
"I prefer to think of it as, intimate," Sylvie trawled sensually as she took a discreet step towards Alex, eyes locked on the dark haired girl's lips. She let a deep breath out and looked up at Alex's eyes before turning to Piper. "See you around." As she walked away Piper could have sworn the brunette turned back just to wink at Alex once more. The heat in her chest was boiling now as anger surged her body.
"What the fuck was that?"
"What?" Alex asked, looking down at the blonde who was writhing with rage next to her.
"She practically eye fucked you right in front of me!"
"That's just her Piper, ignore her. She's just trying to get into your head."
Piper tried her hardest to get back into the party mood after her introduction to Sylvie but it was incredibly difficult. She continued to drink and dance but couldn't seem to escape the brunette, who showed up wherever she and Alex went. She collided into them awkwardly coming out of the bathroom, she stood behind them in the small queue for the punch keg and she annoying initiated a dance off with Poussey right in front of them. She'd looked right into Piper's eyes and said; "I like a challenge" before proceeding to break into a well-rehearsed group dance with three other girls. Each encounter made Piper grow angrier, every time she looked at Sylvie the brunette would be looking at Alex longingly, devouring the dark haired girl with her eyes.
….
"You know I have to speak to her, don't you?"
"You don't…"
"Piper, she's my team mate- I need to be professional."
"But she's a dick."
Alex laughed slightly at how dramatic her girlfriend was being but quickly straightened her face when Piper glared at her.
"Would you not rather me set her straight…again?"
"I'd rather you stay with your girlfriend than talk to someone who you used to fuck!"
"It was one time, Pipes. If you trust me there's nothing to worry about."
"You're not the problem Alex, she is."
Alex sighed and placed her hand on Piper's knee. She knew where Piper was coming from and it was endearing to her to know the blonde cared so much- similar feelings of jealousy had racked Alex's body earlier that evening when she'd spotted Sylvie and Piper talking alone. She needed to eradicate the tension between Sylvie and her girlfriend, if Alex's feelings were what they thought there were she couldn't let anything get in her way.
….
Piper was sat alone on a fallen log on the edge of the tree line, picking at bits of bark when Nicky and Lorna came to join her. The party had well and truly taken over the house now, as could be seen by the shadows of people moving behind each window. The music was still blaring out loudly and Alex had disappeared to find Sylvie. Piper had watched them at first, she'd watched them detach themselves from the group and walk off in search of somewhere quieter to talk. That was when Piper had moved into the tree line, she couldn't watch anymore- it was torture. Even from afar she had seen the pleasure take over Sylvie's face, she'd seen her look over in Piper's direction knowingly- she needed to get away.
Lorna silently took a seat next to Piper on the log and handed her a cup of punch. The blonde was grateful of something to do other than think and grasped the cup, swallowing a large gulp of the orange fire water.
Nicky sat in front of the log and picked at the grass between her legs, looking up at Piper sympathetically. "I'm sorry Chapman, if I'd have known I definitely wouldn't have invited Jodie."
Piper nodded but remained silent.
After a while she spoke up; "It's just annoying you know… you think things are going well and then something… or someone, comes along to spoil it."
"You're not honestly worried about Sylvie, are you?" Nicky asked, confused. Lorna raised her head and looked at Nicky with wide eyes, motioning for her to stop talking. "Seriously Piper, all it takes is one look at that girl to know she is head over heels for you… she isn't stupid enough to let a silly mistake like Sylvie get in the way of that. I mean, I know it's hard when you feel like you can't escape it but this is one of those things you're going to have to live with. But trust me Piper, Alex would never, ever hurt you- OK?"
Piper nodded and sniffed, "You're really surprising me with these motivational chats Nick."
….
Alex took a seat on one of the sun loungers at the edge of the lake, she watched a couple sneak out of view into the trees and smiled as she thought back to her and Piper doing exactly the same thing earlier that day. Sylvie took a seat next to Alex on the sun lounger, snapping the dark haired girl back to reality. She awkwardly tried to shuffle herself further along the seat to create more space between herself and the brunette next to her.
"So, I just wanted to have a quick chat with you really…" Alex started.
"You really expect me to believe that you dragged me away from a party just to talk?" Sylvie asked as she closed her space between her and Alex, leaning in towards her face.
"Sylv…" Alex said as she took Sylvie's hands in her own and moved to the adjacent sun lounger. "I don't want to be a dick, I want to be able to talk to you and be your friend but I have a girlfriend that I need to protect… and if that means keeping this professional and just being team mates then that's what I'm going to do."
Sylvie snapped her hands back and glared at Alex. "You really think the two of you will last?" She laughed coldly. "C'mon Alex, she's a straight girl- we've both seen it before- freshman in college, looking for a bit of an adventure to brag to her friends about at her next slumber party."
"It's not like that…" Alex said quietly as she looked down at the floor.
….
Nicky saw Sylvie leave the beach first- the look on her face made Nicky's stomach drop, she seemed… proud. Piper didn't take long to notice that Sylvie had joined the rest of the group, her eyes searched the area for Alex but she came up short.
"Do you think I should go and find her?" Piper asked.
Lorna looked at Nicky who nodded back at Piper- as much as she was enjoying this new philosophical hat she'd been wearing recently she wished her friends would just own up to how much they liked each other- it would save a lot of confusion!
Alex had stayed on the sun lounger after Sylvie had left- her brain played the brunette's comments back on a constant loop. Sylvie had continued to list every insecurity that Alex had ever had about her relationship with Piper, by the end of the conversation Alex felt exhausted as her brain struggled to come up with contradictions to every point. She was tracing patterns into the sand absent-mindedly when Piper had sidled up to her and sat on the seat that Sylvie had just vacated.
"How did that go?" Piper asked quietly.
Alex remained silent.
"Wanna' talk about it?"
"Not really…" Alex replied, still drawing random shapes in the sand with the tip of her index finger.
"I think we should… talk about it."
Alex looked up at Piper, her blue eyes were wide with worry- Alex's resolve instantly shattered as she stood up to sit next to the blonde. She reached out and held the blonde close, kissing her on the temple- when she looked down again Piper looked slightly more relaxed although Alex could still see the glistening threat of tears in her eyes.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Alex whispered quietly, massaging Piper's upper arm with her thumb.
"I'm just worried… I'm worried that Sylvie is trying to convince you of all the reasons you shouldn't be with me, and I'm worried that one of them with resonate and that you'll realise that you deserve more than me."
"Piper, stop. You're driving yourself insane for no reason."
"Isn't that what she was trying to do?"
"Well, yes." Alex answered honestly. "But that'll never happen, I'll never think that I deserve more than you."
"How can you be sure?" Piper asked.
Alex manoeuvred herself so she was looking at Piper square on, she removed her hand from Piper's arm and instead placed it over her girlfriend's hands which were resting in her lap.
"Listen to me OK, Sylvie is no one to me- if it wasn't for soccer she would only be a distant memory of a drunken night... What Sylvie and I shared, hell, what me and anyone I've ever been with before have shared has only ever been purely physical…"
"Is this supposed to make me feel better?"
"Just listen… I've only ever had physical connections before, which is why I suck at this side of relationships- the talking side. But anyway, what I need to make sure that you know is that you're so different Piper," Alex shook her head slowly in disbelief and awkwardly laughed as though she couldn't believe what she was saying. "And that's why I sometimes get all weird because I didn't know all of these feelings inside of me meant, I'm not used to someone coming into my life and making me re-evaluate, yano? Am I talking rubbish, you can tell me to stop if I am?"
Piper squeezed Alex's hand gently, "You're not talking rubbish."
"You've taught me things Piper, I don't think you realise it but you have… you've taught me that love means more than flowers and chocolates, it means checking if someone is OK after a long day, getting them a glass of water just incase they want one, seeing them smile when you make a stupid joke... I guess, I expected love to be like the movies, yano' just plain sailing happiness- but it's not… it's a struggle, an enjoyable struggle of two people compromising and doing nothing but caring for each other whole heatedly. You've made me believe in it… in love I mean."
Piper was watching Alex's face intently, it was beautiful and endearing to watch Alex stumble over the words- it wasn't a rehearsed speech it was just words, words full of raw emotion and so much meaning. It was so uncommon for Alex to open up and Piper felt so honoured that she was special enough to witness Alex's walls crumbling down. Piper placed her hand on the side of Alex's face causing the dark haired girl's glistening green eyes to meet her own.
"I'm so in love with you" Piper breathed. As she said the words she felt as if all of the veins leading to her heart sparked in celebration.
Alex exhaled happily, "I guess that's what I was trying to say too."
"Then say it?" Piper smiled.
"I love you, Piper Chapman."
Suddenly, the intense ache in Alex's body made sense- those three words were all she needed to say all along. She placed her hand over Piper's and brought their softs lips together into a passionate embrace. It feel like the rawest, most honest kiss they had ever shared. Alex unlocked her lips from Piper's and whispered softly against them.
"I love you so much."
….
A/N. This was the first chapter in a while where I absolutely loved writing every single line! I'm off work this week so I feel like I've actually been able to give this story the attention it deserves. I watched Season 5 this weekend so I'm fully inspired to write more, if you haven't watched it yet and you're a big Vauseman fan you will not be disappointed, I promise! Can't wait to write more, as always please leave your reviews/suggestions for next chapters- I love reading them more than anything. If you fancy giving me a follow on twitter I've had a recent handle change to ishiplovee. PS- special thanks to Chuliemae and Older-Danvers on Tumblr- from whom I stole the hilarious joke at the start of the chapter- I wish I could claim credit for it! Love you all- C x